Funny Seeing You Here
by Awesome one
Summary: This was pretty much the weirdest day of Emma Swan's life to date. Some kid just shows up at her door, claiming to be her daughter from the future and that Regina Mills of all people is the kids other Mom. She just takes it as a joke until she realizes just how much she looks like Regina and hey-doesn't that kid have the Charming jaw? But...she only slept with Regina once! How...?
1. Chapter 1

Today had to be the craziest day of Emma Swan's entire life and that was a stretch considering all of the absolutely crazy things that had happened to her. For instance the whole fairytale characters trapped in a cursed town thing and her parents who were supposedly Prince Charming and Snow freaking White. Also pretty crazy was the fact that the only reason she knew about the town full of cursed fairytale characters was because the son she had given up for adoption had showed up on her stoop to tell her she was the savior destined to save those cursed fairytale characters in that cursed town. Even more crazy was than that was the fact that everything she thought wasn't true, turned out to be true and that everyone in the town really was who her long lost son had claimed them to be. Yet, what had happened today, was even crazier than all of that.

Her day had started out simple enough, all previous things mentioned brought into consideration. Being the Sheriff of Storybrooke, even after the curse broke, was a pretty easy job. Not much happened in the little town so mostly Emma sat at her desk eating pastries with one hand and throwing darts at a board with the other. She use to play paper ball basketball with the trashcan until Regina had got on her for wasting perfectly good paper that cost to much to just throw away like that. Because, yes, somehow, Regina still managed to go all scary Mayor, bossy bitch lady, on Emma even though she was no longer the mayor of Storybrooke. So after a long, tiring day of overstuffing herself and getting a sore wrist from dart throwing, Emma had locked up the station and had drove herself home to get Henry ready for his weekend with his other mother. As per the agreement between Regina and herself, Henry was to spend every other weekend with Regina so long as Henry was willing to stay and Regina behaved herself magic wise. Boy, had Regina given Emma a glare that could kill when she had told Regina that was one of her rules. That agreement had been made a few months back and, after a few initial fights with the brunette woman, everything had begun to run smoothly until it was now habit for the two woman and their shared son. Henry went over on Friday night after school and Regina returned him promptly after dinner on Sunday nights, just in time for bed. Recently Emma had begun letting Regina into her apartment on Sunday to tuck Henry in before she left though, if anyone asked her, Emma couldn't say why. Vise versa, Regina would sometimes allow Emma to stay long enough on Friday nights to catch dinner and tuck Henry in before leaving. Regina and herself managed to remain civil but there was always, had always been an underlining tension running between them that was pulled taught enough, Emma just knew that soon it would snap and all hell would break loose. Until that happened however, Emma planned on remaining cautiously optimistic and carefully courteous of their new found compromise.

Today was not one of those days for Emma. When she had dropped Henry off and invited herself in for dinner, Regina had flayed Emma alive with a sharp verbal assault and promptly shoved the blond onto her porch and slammed the door in her face. Emma hardly blinked an eye at it, she was used to the crazy woman's insane mood swings when it pertained to Emma Swan; she had just waved to Henry through the window and made her way back to her Beetle. Recently Emma had found herself in this situation with Regina and for the life of her, Emma couldn't understand why. Everything had been going so well, she had even seen Regina give her an honest to god smile once, then she got all hormonal about everything and would be incredibly bi-polar with her moods. Emma would see her at the store, say hi and get a pleasant greeting in return, then later she would see Regina again at Granny's and say hi only to have Regina glare at her, stand up with a huff, and shoulder check her in the process of her dramatic exit. Emma had chalked it up to menopause, fairly convinced Regina was just going all Bitch Mode Activated on her lately because she was going through that change older woman tend to do at her age. Regina was pretty old right? Old enough for that? She was pretty sure. The first few times it happened she had been more confused than angry for being degraded by the former mayors sharp tongue but now, now she was use to it.

So she had drove back to her lonely apartment in hopes of catching a flick on TV before bed and debated whether to indulge in a nice cup of hot chocolate or a cold beer. Now that Charming and Snow had been dramatically reunited, they had moved into a place of their own and left Emma with the apartment she had shared with Mary Margaret during the duration of the time she spent here. Not that she minded being alone in the apartment, quite the contrary, she enjoyed not having her overly affectionate parents stay there with Henry and herself. Plus, with them gone, and Henry staying with Regina most weekends, Emma now had to the ability to just sit around without pants on and have herself some sorely missed Emma Time.

Today she hadn't even gotten around to opening her beer, let alone taking her pants off to watch a re-run of Jaws on the couch, when someone had knocked on her door. She paused with the lip of the beer bottle pressed against the counter and her hand poised midair to bring it down atop the lid to pop the top off. No one came to visit her except her parents and occasionally Red or Belle but none of them knocked, they just walked right in. The only other person Emma could think that would bother visiting her was Gold but she wouldn't imagine him having such a timid knock. Nor would Regina have such a knock but Emma cancelled out Regina entirely because the one time Regina had shown up at Emma's apartment alone was the day the brunette had made Emma swear to forget ever happened. After that Regina never came over unless she had Henry with her and didn't stay after Henry went to sleep.

She had obviously spent to much time running through a mental checklist in her head because the knock sounded again, more persistent this time.

"Comin'!" She set her beer on the counter and went to the door, casting a fleeting glance at the perpetrating bottle being left behind for whoever this was. A strange feeling passed through her when she closed her fingers around the door handle, something close to a premonition that left a residue of dread coating her insides, before she threw the door open. Confusion marred her face in a way that brought her brows low over her eyes, lines appearing between them, lips pursed.

Sea green eyes twinkled up at her from waist height, "Hi." Her childish voice was high, lilting in a musical way that would make birds jealous, even if it was only one word she said. There was a mini human at her door. A strange mini human Emma had never seen around Storybrooke before so she didn't have the damndest idea who she belonged too. Strangely, she seemed familiar, but Emma couldn't place the features to anyone in particular. She was short, even for a girl her age, which Emma guessed to be between 6 and 9. Choppy strands of razor cut hair fell to just below her small mandible, a thick chunk of hair fanning across her forehead to just above her equally colored chestnut brown eyebrows. There was a tiny, almost indiscernible, splash of freckles across the bridge of her nose but they were near invisible underneath the olive tone of the girls skin. The clothes she wore screamed wealth, pristine and clean of any speck of dirt right down to the converse on her little feet and the turtle backpack strapped to her shoulders.

Emma leaned onto one foot to precariously balance herself so she could peer into the hallway for anyone else this girl could have come with but, seeing no one, she leaned back onto both feet to stare down at the girl. Who stared right back up at her, silent, with both of her petite hands gripping the straps of her backpack.

"Um…hi. Can I help you with something? You loose your folks or something?" Emma leaned her hip against the open door, crossing one ankle over the other. The little girl pursed her lips to one side, crinkling up her nose in the process. Emma was reminded of Samantha from Bewitched, that old TV show, that would do that and wiggle her nose to cast a spell. But it looked way cuter on the kid.

"Sort of but I have this really good plan." The girl looked past Emma into the apartment, like she was deep in thought but, when Emma looked over her shoulder to see what the kid was looking at, she noticed the girl was glaring a straight line at Emma's beer sitting on the counter. Peculiar but whatever. She turned back to see if she could help the girl but found the girl wasn't there anymore. Instead she had ducked under Emma's arm and moved into the apartment, making a beeline for the beer. Emma watched with her mouth hung open in shock as the girl stood on her tiptoes to grab the bottle and throw it into the trash can and, after she deposited it, turned back to Emma with her little hands on her hips, one thin brow raised. An odd thing to see when coupled with a turtle backpack and that adorable one sided lip purse.

"Ah, what the crap kid? That-"

"Mom you said you weren't going to drink that stuff anymore. You promised Mommy. I won't tell her this time but don't let it happen again, okay?" Then she smiled a huge, beaming smile, leaving all pretenses of being a bossy adult behind. Her hands fell away from her hips in trade to swing at her sides as she skipped over to the couch which she struggled to climb onto. Emma just stared at the kid like she had three heads. What was it with strange kids barging into her house like they owned the place and calling her mom? First Henry and now this one! Except this one couldn't possibly be hers because she had only one child in prison and hasn't gotten around to having another one since then. So either this little girl was deranged or Emma was.

With a huff, Emma slammed the door shut and stomped over to stand in front of the TV which the girl had changed to a cartoon channel. The girl whined in protest of being blocked so Emma turned and flicked it off, out of pure habit because that's what she did when Henry whined after she told him no more TV before bed.

"Aweh come on Mom…you always let me watch cartoons when Mommy isn't looking!" Her pout could have melted Mr. Gold into a puddle it was so powerful. Emma struggled not to summit to it and flick the TV back on, settle on the floor and watch cartoons with her. The only thing that stopped her was everything the girl continued to say. Calling her Mom and insinuating she had another mother for instance. Talk about a what the fuck moment.

"Okay Kid I think we should get you back to whatever loony bin you escaped from. I'll even give you a ride. I always seem to give the kids that show up at my house and call me mom rides." Emma huffed to herself and rested her hands on her hips, the tips of her fingers curling into the hemline of her skinny jeans. Stricken, the girl sucked in a breath and cupped her hands over her quivering lips, her eyes welling with tears.

"That was really mean…."

Emma's eyes widened and her hands fell limp at her sides, twitching a little from an instinctual urge to comfort the girl but not sure if she should. The dilemma didn't last long when the girl started sniffing and looking around the room for a box of tissues, Emma couldn't resist giving into her maternal instincts. She sat beside the girl and pulled her into her arms, rocking her slightly as she pressed her nose against Emma's sternum, gripping the hem of her tank top. Strangely, Emma felt like she should recognize this. That same premonition from before only less scary this time. Something to look into a later time, like when there wasn't a crying child cuddled up against her because Emma had insulted her. Awkwardly, Emma gave the girl's small back gentle pats as the girl continued to shake from silent sobs or what Emma assumed to be silent sobs, until she heard the girl break into a fit of melodious giggles. Emma pulled the girl away from her by her shoulders to look at her grinning face, ocean eyes twinkling with mischievous mirth.

"I got you Mom! I so got you." She giggled sweetly one more time before lightly pecking Emma on the cheek as an apology and hopped off the couch, running into the kitchen to root through the fridge.

Emma blinked a couple times before slowly growing a frown and turned around, propping herself on one knee to face the girl, "What are you some kind of devil child who is super good at acting?"

The girl peeked her head around the fridge to give Emma a little smile, "No. I'm _your _child." then went right back to what she was doing, making loud clinking noises.

Emma huffed again and fell back onto her ass, sinking deep into the cushions of the couch, "Alright Kid. I give. I'll listen to whatever crazy idea makes you think your mine and see if it makes any lick of sense 'cause last time some kid showed up at my door claiming to be my child he spouted off a whole bunch of crazy nonsense that didn't make any sense and I didn't believe until it was almost to late. So I'll give. C'mere and tell me your crazy ideas." Emma kicked her feet up onto the coffee table, crossing them at the ankles, and crossed her arms across her torso. Not soon after, the girl bounced back over with one of Henry's Capri Suns for herself and another for Emma that she set on Emma's thigh in a way that made it look like a peace offering. She carefully took her turtle backpack off before climbing onto the couch, setting it to her side and cuddling against Emma's bicep.

"Wha'da ya mean Mom?" She took a noisy sip of her juice, little driblets of clear juice dripping down her chin. Emma rolled her eyes and used her bent index finger to wipe it away for her, rubbing the moister clean on the thigh of her jeans.

"Let's start with a name. If I'm Mom, then you have to have a name right? I named you right?"

The girl shook her head, "Mommy named me. 'Cause you wanted to name me Sorsha, after the lady from Willow, and Mommy didn't like it. She said you were stupid and made you sleep on the couch," She pursed her lip to one side again, nose crinkling adorably, "but you said that she only did it 'cause the pregnancy hormones made her crazy. Whatever that means." Another noisy sip.

"Okay. For the record, Sorsha is a totally awesome name. Totally awesome chick. Your Mommy clearly had terrible taste. What's your name then?"

She blinked her ocean eyes once before straightening up with the posture of a princess, chin held high, "Gwyneth Milan Swan-Mills."

Emma cracked a grin, a wild grin with the wild eyes to match, "Swan-Mills huh? As in Regina Mills? That's your Mommy?"

Gwyneth nodded, "Yes Ma'am. But you guys call me Gwen. I like it better."

"Your serious? You think Regina and I are your parents?" Emma couldn't hold in her laughter any longer. She noticed the hurt look flash across the young girls face but Emma couldn't help it. A little girl just shows up at her door claiming to Regina and her love child when Emma obviously lacked all things needed to make a child with another woman? Not to mention she had never once had sex with Regina. Well, except that one time but Regina made it very clear that she was to forget it ever happened.

"I don't _think, _I _know _you're my parents. Emma Swan is my Mom and Regina Mills is my Mommy. I don't really know the whole story 'cause you told me I'm too young but you made me with Mommy and then you guys got married after I was born. And you, Mommy, Brother Henry, and me lived happily ever after!" She said it in a perfect 'duh' tone that Emma had to hand it to her. This girl was going to be the best damn actress that ever lived when she grew up.

"Right Kid. I think I would have noticed if all that happened recently." She smirked at Gwen who was giving her a very Regina-esque glare, creepily enough. She shrugged it off and scooped up her Capri Sun, stabbing the little yellow straw into the hole and taking a noisy drink.

Gwen huffed and took Emma's Capri Sun away mid drink, causing juice to spill all over Emma's tank top. The blond jumped from the shock of cold splashing across her chest, shooting a glare towards the kid who continued to glare right back at her.

"You didn't notice it recently 'cause I'm from the future. Duh. Honestly Mom. Come on."

"The future? Seriously? Your gonna play that card? What, do they invent time travel where you come from?"

Gwen rolled her ocean eyes, waves of annoyance washing over the room, "No. Mom, honestly? Grams and Gramps are fairytale characters and Mommy has magic. You don't think things like this could happen around here?"

Emma gave time for pause before nodding slowly, "Okay that's a point for you. But that doesn't explain time travel."

"Well," Gwen dropped her eyes to her turtle backpack, chewing on her lip anxiously, "I may have done something bad…"

Emma's brows furrowed, "What do you mean Kid? What did you do that's bad?"

Gwen let out a suffering sigh that was overdramatic and clearly all Regina if Regina really was her mother. She pulled her backpack into her lap, unzipping it and reached inside to pull out a thick, black leather book with yellow pages. She handed it over to Emma with a slightly guilty look. Emma took it, confused by what it should mean, but took it none the less and flipped open to a blank page. Then to another blank page. And another. After flipping it to one more blank page, she gripped all the pages between her hands and flipped it in succession to find that every single page was, just like the others, blank.

"I don't get it. You gave me a blank book."

Gwen shook her head, tears filling her eyes and Emma had a feeling these ones were real, "It's not blank you just can't read the words 'cause your not like Mommy and me. Mommy said you have to be a witch from our family to read it. That's why brother can't read it either."

Emma frowned as she ran her fingertips over the cover of the obviously well worn book, "You can use magic?"

"A little. Mommy is teaching me. But I'm only allowed to do it with her and you there. But…"

Something clicked and Emma's eyes went wide, "Oh no…you weren't suppose to use magic without her, were you?"

"No…but I was just really exited to show Mommy that I was really good, as good as her! So I went to get the book so I could learn something cool to show Mommy. And I'm not suppose to touch the book…and….well, I did a spell and I got really tired and fell asleep in the yard. Then I woke up here, in the park. I was really confused at first until I saw Mommy and Brother walking down the street together and Brother wasn't big. He was the same as me! I think I maybe did a time reverse spell on myself…but I'm not sure. Which I why I cam here. 'Cause I need your help to get back Mom. Please help me?" Gwen was freely crying now, sopping her tears on the sleeves of her shirt and giving Emma big, wet, pleading eyes. It was all to much for the blond because suddenly it wasn't a joke anymore and she found herself believing this girl that yes, she was her daughter and she was a daughter she had somehow created with Regina Mills. All of Regina's mood swings lately, her serious anger towards Emma, it all had happened after the night they had slept together. Yeah it was crazy, beyond crazy, but everything in this fucking town was crazy including her right now because she believe this kid.

"I need a drink. Wait here." She stood on shaky legs, letting the blank spell book fall from her lap onto the floor. It fell open, the pages bending every which way with the spine towards her. Gwen gasped and reached for the book but Emma reflexively went for it first. When she picked it up, however, there was a starch white piece of paper left on the carpet. Furrowing her brows, she went to pick that up as well. Flipping it over revealed that it was a picture. Two pictures actually, merged as one with a white boarder running between the two pictures. The top picture was one of Regina dressed in a glimmering wedding gown, laughing so hard her eyes were closed, with Emma in an equally brilliant wedding dress behind her, hugging her arms around her waist and nuzzling her nose into the crook of Regina's neck. The picture below it was of Regina holding an infant swaddled in a lavender baby blanket in her arms at the wedding, still being in her wedding gown with Emma at her shoulder, peering down at their daughter with matching adoring smiles. At Emma's elbow was Henry looking dashing in a tux and standing on his tiptoes to smile at his baby sister. Gwyneth Milan Swan-Mills. Well fuck.

She didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face until she was sitting on the floor with little arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind, cooing comforting words in her ear while also apologizing profusely for touching the book when she wasn't suppose too.

"So…you really are our Kid huh, Gwen?" Emma whispered it to herself but the little girl hugging her, heard and assumed it was a question for her.

"Yes Ma'am," A pause, then, "Am I in trouble?"

Emma breathed out a dry laugh, running her thumb across Regina's smiling face in the picture, "Probably Kid. Probably."

**So…I'm not entirely sure but this plot has probably been used a million times but I thought I'd give it a go just because. If anyone out there just read this, and liked it, leave me a review to let me know so that I will continue it. If I don't get any attention, I'll just assume no one was interested and forget it. This is pretty much an experiment. So, its up to you guys. Goodnight, its late here. (Which is why there is probably quite a few mistakes, I'm to tired to go back through and correct them all. Sorry! Do forgive!) **


	2. Chapter 2

_The rain was falling in heavy sheets outside, drenching the whole of Storybrooke and any poor soul caught outside. It had been raining steadily for a couple hours now and Emma had been sitting on the windowsill watching it, temple rested against the cold glass that her every breath fogged up when a loud banging on her door had startled her. Ever the gracious host, she picked herself up and made her way to the door. Smirking at her own childish behavior, Emma sped up her approach so that she could slide the rest of the way on her socks. The smirk had quickly died away when she opened the door to reveal a flushed faced, drenched Regina Mills on the other side. Water rolled down from the slick strands of her hair plastered against the smooth looking skin of her neck and her forehead. Her chest was heaving in and out as one would if they had just ran an entire marathon yet Emma couldn't imagine the former mayor had run all this way in the sleek heels strapped to her little feet. She clutched the flap of her pea coat tightly against her ribcage, digging her nails into expensive fabric, and stared at Emma with glazed eyes burning with a flurry of emotions. _

"_Miss Swan, do you have any idea what time it is?" The way Regina said it made Emma feel as though she was the one that had just come knocking at Regina's door instead of vise versa. Agitation dripped from every syllable falling between those crimson lips sneering at her in that delicious way they always did. Emma had trouble holding Regina's eyes because of the gravitational pull centering at the seem of Regina's tempting lips, trying as they might to drag Emma into them. _

"_What?" _

_Regina growled lowly, scratching at the fabric beneath her manicured nails. Her teeth were bared, lips pulled high, and her eyes were flashing dangerously the way they did when Regina was on a warpath. The way that always sent shivers up Emma's spine and made a considerably large wet spot in the crotch of her jeans. _

"_Don't play coy with me Emma Swan! You know exactly what I'm talking about." Only after Regina spit out the sentence did Emma notice what seemed so wrong with this situation. The small slur in Regina's normally crisp annunciated way of speaking and the way the petite brunette was swaying slightly in spot. _

"_Regina are you drunk!?" _

_Regina waved a dismissive hand, "Don't change the subject." _

"_What subject!? You're not making any fucking sense!" Emma gestured towards Regina's body in a wide flourish of her hand, "You showed up at my house drunk off your ass at, fuck, one in the morning and your dripping wet! Your going to get si-" _

"_Yes!" Regina hissed, cutting Emma off, and pointed an accusing finger in her direction, "That is exactly my point Miss Swan. I'm dripping wet. All the time. Because of you! And I'm sick of it, damn it! I'm sick of how you make me feel, I can't stand another moment of it. So I've come here to tell you to stop whatever your doing to make me feel this way because, as you said, it's one in the morning and for once I'd like to go to sleep and not dream of you, not think of you when I wake up, not hope I see you during the day, and not have to deal with the frustration of not having your hands on my body leaves me in. I can't have feelings for you anymore Emma Swan so you do something about it right now or so help me, I will destroy you!" By the time Regina finished her rant, her chest was heaving like it was when she had showed up, hot breaths spilling out of her mouth, and her eyes were wide and wild, staring into Emma's with earnest. All Emma could do was stare at her, eyes darkened with arousal, mouth hung open with shock, and heart thumping happily from Regina's admission. _

"_You have feelings for me? Honest?" _

"_Oh for the love of-did you not just hear a single word I said Miss Swan?" _

_Emma's brows furrowed in confusion, one of her hands reaching up to scratch her cheek lightly, "Well yeah but-" Once again Regina cut her off but not with words this time. No this time Regina rushed forward, gripping Emma's face between her hands, and smashed their lips together in a heady kiss. The kiss was powerful, rocking both of them to their cores, but short, only meant to express what words could not and finally, finally get a taste of something they had both been silently craving. Regina continued to hold Emma's cheeks between her hands even when she pulled her lips away and let her eyes flutter shut, resting her forehead against the dip in Emma's chin. _

"_You just had to do that Miss Swan, that insufferable confused face that is so unbelievably adorable, I just want to choke you or kiss you every time I see it." _

_Emma hummed her approval upon the admission and dipped her head just slightly so that she could dot little kisses across Regina's forehead, brows, and stopping at the bridge of her nose. Brown eyes cracked open to peer at Emma, confusion, frustration, adoration all swirling beneath the drunken film coating those blown pupils. _

"_Good for me that you kissed me then, instead of the choking bit. Why don't you come in Gina? We can get you out of those clothes, into a hot shower, and maybe I'll help you dry off. Sound good?" Regina glared best she could when inebriated and the sight of it made Emma's insides flutter. _

"_You're a temptress Emma Swan, that's what you are. A no good temptress. And I assure you that your charm will not work on me." But Regina still allowed Emma to pull her inside the apartment and close the door behind her because they both knew what they wanted and all they wanted was one another in that moment. _

"Mom!"

Emma jumped at the sound of Gwen's voice yelling directly beside her ear, shattering the memory that had been running through her mind since she had seen the wedding photo and had met Gwen. Emma wasn't as stupid as most would believe her to be. Someone stupid would have easily forgotten all of the things that made that night such a precious memory to her. She could recall in vivid detail the way Regina's tough façade as shattered the very second Emma's fingertips danced across bare olive skin and a new, beautiful raw Regina had surfaced. Not someone who is easily broken by any means because Regina would always be Regina, the impenetrable wall built on a foundation of blood and tears, but this woman who had shown herself during their love making had been as susceptible as a sponge and soaked in every single feeling Emma had offered her that night. Emma could still feel Regina arching into her hands, still feel the shuddering breaths washing over the nape of her neck, still hear Regina's soft mewling. She continued to hear the echo of Regina muttering three whispered words against her ear just before succumbing to sleep. They had lit Emma on fire and given her a brand new look on life, a new purpose. She had curled around Regina that night, holding the woman against her body until the sun peaked above the mountains and filled her room, waking them both. Emma had foolishly believed that it would change things between them, that everything Regina uttered that night would come to fruit and they would harvest their product together but she had been so very wrong. When she had gone to kiss Regina good morning, she had been instead treated to a good morning slap in the face and a shove off the bed onto the cold floor. Regina turned into a whirlwind of buzzing fury, dressing in a tizzy, hair skewed from sex, and tried locating her shoes so she could hurry away from Emma's encompassing walls closing in around her. Emma, naturally, had gotten angry and confronted the brunette about the abuse, wondering how a woman could switch from whispering pleas for love, shuttering out hushed promises for forever, only to trash her once the sun rose. Regina had lied. Lied about saying any of those, lied about the sex meaning anything, lied about even remembering if Emma was good or not. She instructed Emma to forget anything ever happened and promised that it would never happen again. And that promise had been the only truth Regina had said all morning before storming out of Emma's home, minus shoes in her hurry, and slammed the door behind her. Little did the former mayor know that as she walked back to her mansion barefoot, head bowed, she had taken Emma's breaking heart with her.

The blonde sighed just remembering it and tilted her head towards the little girl perched on the armrest of her sofa, looking at her curiously. Gwen was practically a carbon copy of Regina so really, it should have been easier for Emma to except the possibility of Gwen being their creation as unfathomable as it seemed. There were only a few things that made Gwen hers like the eyes, the chin, and her awkwardness. Emma had been observing Gwen for the hour they had known each other, watching her dance around rather than walking as normal people did, watching the girl get wide eyed every time Emma cursed in front of her, and noticed every Regina-like thing Gwen did. And there was a lot. The way she dressed was an obvious one. The way she spoke slowly so she could annunciate each word properly and with an elegance bred from royalty. Even if she had trouble with a word to complicated for her young tongue, she would stop to go over the word a few times until she got it correctly. She sat primly with her legs crossed, hands folded neatly in her lap, posture matching the straightness of Regina's. Emma didn't like that she was beginning to adore the child because she knew eventually she would have to say goodbye but she was beginning to adore the girl, and it had only been an hour.

Emma reached over to ruffle Gwen's hair lightly, smiling a little when the girl squeaked and swatted at her mother, "You getting hungry Kid?"

"Yes ma'am." Gwen crawled from her spot to take up a new seat in Emma's lap, resting her temple against Emma's sternum once she became comfortable enough. Emma was slow, tentative, to reach her hand up and cup the back of Gwen's head, holding her in place against her. She rarely got to hold Henry like this because, as he claimed, he was to old for cuddling now but Gwen wasn't. Gwen was kind of Emma's second chance at motherhood and, even if she loved her son with all of her heart, part of her ached for the stage of adolescence Gwen was at now for this very reason.

"I could order a pizza. Regina ever let you have pizza?" Emma turned her eyes down to Gwen's toothy grin beaming up at her.

"Mommy doesn't let us order pizza from places. The only pizza we are allowed to eat is the pizza you make because Mommy says that way, she'll know exactly what's going into it."

Emma rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile from slipping onto her face, "Figures. Sounds like something Regina would say." Then something struck Emma, "Wait. Only the pizza I make? I don't cook."

Gwen sat up to give her mother an incredulous stare, "What? You do so."

Emma shook her head and hooked her thumb over her shoulder towards the kitchen, "I promise there isn't a thing I can cook that doesn't burn. You can go find the evidence in there if you want."

Gwen stared at her for a moment, tilting her head, before slowly coming out of thought with a smile, "You're such a liar Mom."

Emma faux gasped, slapping a hand dramatically over her heart and earning a giggle from Gwen for her theatrics, "Why I never! You have done insulted me now Little Miss Mills! You've cut me deep, you have!"

Gwen giggled louder, poking her mother in the chest with her little fingers, "I know you cook 'cause on family night sometimes, you will make pizzas for us like how they taught you to in the pizza shop you worked at in Boston when you were a teenager. You told us so. Oh! Mom, mom, mom! Can we make a pizza right now!? Please!? Please, please, _please_!"

Emma gave a sweet smile at the sight of Gwen bouncing from excitement in her lap, hands clapped in front of her chest, her wide eyes twinkling at her mother. Emma scooped the girl into her arms and stood to walk them both into the kitchen for an inspection of ingredients.

"I suppose so. As long as you don't tell anyone else around here that I can cook pizzas," Emma gave Gwen a faux stern look, poking the tip of the girls nose with her finger, "I don't want everyone knowing my secret. Especially your Mommy, she'd make me actually cook food for Henry instead of going the lazy way and ordering out. We have a deal?"

Gwen stuck out her hand for Emma to shake and, in her best interpretation of Regina's mayor voice, said, "You have a deal Miss Swan." Emma chuckled and shook Gwen's hand before setting the girl on the kitchen island while she browsed through her cupboards. Gwen watched, swinging her feet, from her perch on the countertop.

"So Gwen," Emma pulled out a bag of bread flour and set it beside the small box of yeast she had discovered, "do you have any idea how we are gonna get you back to your time?" She stood on her toes to reach the high shelf for sugar, olive oil, and salt. Then she moved to the fridge.

"Well…not really. I know that I will need to use magic but…I'm not strong enough. Mommy has only taught me really simple stuff like levitation and charms. I don't even know how I managed the time reverse spell. That's why I came to you. You can help me figure it out right Mom?" Emma peaked her head over the fridge door to look over Gwen's hopeful, trusting face.

"I can try Kid. If worst comes to worst, we'll have to involve your Mommy. Or even worst than that, Gold."

Gwen scrunched her face up and shook her head, "Mommy said Brother and me aren't allowed to ask him for help. She said he'd be mean about it and try to trick us."

Emma nodded her approval, "Your Mommy is a smart woman. But anyway," Emma slammed the fridge door shut and turned back to the dough ingredients sitting on the counter, "I have stuff for dough. I can make it real quick and stick it in the fridge to settle but we are gonna have to make a store run for toppings and some cornmeal."

Gwen smiled with excitement and hopped down from the counter, teetering for a moment from the height drop, "The store!? I love the store! We have so much fun Mom! You and me always do the shopping for Mommy 'cause she's always busy with work and Henry is a loser teenager. He's always with his boring friends. Ew." Gwen pursed her lips to one side in that way that was her trademark, Emma noticed, and rolled her eyes at her brothers behavior. Emma laughed heartily, reaching down to ruffle the girls hair.

"Teenagers are pretty lame aren't they, Gwen?"

She let out an exasperated sigh and flicked her hair just like Regina did, "You have no idea. They are so obnoxious Mom. All they do is talk about girls and play video games. Henry almost never plays Pirates with me anymore! He says it's not 'cool'. " She added air quotes with an eye roll that was really freaking adorable to witness. Emma crouched down in front of Gwen, reaching out instinctually to tuck a strand of the girls hair behind her ear.

"Well, we can play Pirates at the store, how's that sound?" Gwen nodded enthusiastically which made Emma laugh lightly at the girls cuteness, "but there are some ground rules. Can you handle that?"

"Sure Mom."

"Okay first? You can't call me Mom in public." Gwen frowned deeply, a hurt flashing behind her eyes that struck Emma's heart like a knife. The girl dropped her brown haired head, chin to chest.

"Oh. Okay…"

"Hey, hey. None of that," Emma tapped her index finger against the part in Gwen's hair until Gwen picked her head back up and looked into Emma's eyes, "We just can't have people jumping to conclusions alright? Remember, in this time you aren't born yet and your Mommy and me aren't married so no one knows about you yet. Just me. It would be very confusing if someone there who knows me heard you calling me Mom. You understand?"

And like that Gwen's face brightened to its previous wattage, "Oh! Yeah! It's not 'cause you don't want me, it's 'cause you want to keep me safe. Thanks Mom." Gwen flung herself at Emma, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and nuzzling her small nose into Emma's wild hair. Emma tried to ignore the whispered 'I love you' from Gwen because she didn't how to respond to it. Yes, she was pretty fond of the kid already but she wasn't Gwen's mother. Not yet at least, not for another nine months or so, depending on how far along Emma assumed Regina to be. She wondered if Regina knew she was pregnant and if Regina was keeping it a secret from Emma. Or if Regina was completely unaware. A flash of Regina's daily coffee intake was enough to worry the blond, her arms coming around Gwen in a protective way. She hoped Regina knew.

After a gentle pat to Gwen's back, Emma pried them apart and stood up, hands on her hips, "Rule number two, last rule, try not to call anyone else anything other than their names alright? That means if we, by some crazy twist of fate, see Regina and Henry there, you can't run up to her and call her Mommy."

Gwen nodded in understanding, "Okay Mom."

"Great. Do you have a hat with you? It's cold out and I don't want your little ears freezing off." Gwen nodded, "A jacket too?" Another nod, "Good. Go get ready while I prep the pizza dough. We'll leave after I'm done."

"Okay Mom."

**Okay by a popular vote of 23 reviews, 19 favs, and 61 followers, whelp, you guys win! The story will continue. I mean, holy fuck, you guys kick ass! I didn't expect for this story to be any kind of hit but, well, you guys proved me wrong. Generally I respond to every review I get because I like thanking you for your time but I was a bit overwhelmed with the explosive response! So here it is, from me to all of you, thank you very much for your kind reviews. It means a lot to me. Btw, sorry for the M content earlier. Should have warned Ya'all. But here is my warning now, M content! For future reference and for this one! Also, your all curious as to how Regina will respond to Gwen. Well, patience children, the rest will come in time. For now, it's pizza making time and store trips! And maybe an awkward run in with an acquaintance? Gasp, what? You didn't hear a thing dot dot dot. **


	3. Chapter 3

"What's the status of the ship, First Mate Gwen?"

"She appears to be steady, Captain."

"Brilliant! Take to the nest! I'll be at the helm!"

"Aye aye Captain!" Gwen gave Emma a little salute and turned back to the shopping cart they had chosen for Gwen to inspect. The rainbow Sock Monkey hat she had pulled from her turtle backpack to show Emma earlier was a little bit to large for her, causing it to fall over her eyes every time she attempted to jump into the cart. She wore a woolen coat with a line of shiny black buttons down the front that looked like an exact replica of one of Regina's, shrunken down to fit Gwen. The only difference Emma could see was that the fabric of the jacket was a cream white instead of grey and the cuffs of the sleeves as well as the lapels were lined with white leather. Emma had been impressed at the sight of the leather and given Gwen a pat on the head.

"Captain?" Emma inclined her head towards the girl to urge her on, "I need help getting into the ship."

"Sure thing Kiddo." Emma scooped Gwen up and gently placed her on her feet inside the shopping cart, fixing the scarf knotted around her neck when it came undone. Gwen politely thanked Emma for her help and moved the stand at the front of the cart, weaving her fingers through the metal, bouncing slightly from her excitement. Briefly, Emma wondered if Gwen was allowed to ride in the cart like that. Probably not. Well, what Regina doesn't know won't hurt her.

"All is clear Captain! You can sail the ship into deeper waters!"

"Copy that, First Mate. Off we go!" Emma pushed the shopping cart through the double doors of the super market, past the greeter who held out a smiley face sticker for Gwen to take. He gave Emma a wink, like he always did, completely ignoring the child stationing inside her shopping cart. She repressed the urge to gag.

Other mothers safely walking their children around the store, with hands on the children's shoulders to keep them in check, shot Emma the dirtiest of looks for letting Gwen ride inside the cart. Safety first, happiness second, was a general principle after all. Not as far as Emma was concerned though. She gave them all nice, cheesy grins before taking off into a run until the cart was rolling fast enough to jump into the bottom rack and ride along on the cart with Gwen. Both mother and daughter laughed loudly, louder still when the nose of the cart clipped a corner and the force of the dead stop caused Gwen to fall onto her rear inside the cart. Her rainbow Sock Monkey hat came askew, little tuffs of her hair poking out from underneath though she remained otherwise unharmed. She beamed up at Emma, gripping the straps of her turtle backpack.

"That was fun Captain! Can we do it again?"

Emma laughed at Gwen's enthusiasm even after getting knocked down, "Of course! But we need to get cheese first. I just need to remember the way to the refrigerated foods."

Gwen sat on her knees and pointed down an aisle to their left, "That way Captain!"

Emma steered the cart in the direction Gwen pointed without question, trusting the girl to not lead them astray. Not even a minute later they came upon rows of refrigerators. She grinned and left the cart in search of shredded mozzarella. When she located it she took it from the hook inside the cool box and turned to toss it to Gwen, who caught it with little trouble and dumped the package into the purse holder of the cart behind her. They repeated this same process for all of the cold meat products precut and packaged up and Emma pushed them away to look for the things not kept cold. Until Gwen screeched for Emma to stop and climbed out of the cart to hurry back towards the open freezers, standing on her tip toes to grab a package of chicken breasts. Once she had it in hand, she hurried back to Emma and held it up for the blond to take.

"What's this for First Mate?"

"Mommy's favorite is chicken and spinach. Can we make it for her?"

Emma smiled sweetly at the girl's tender thoughts towards her mother and set the chicken down with the rest of the ingredients, "Sure kid. That was sweet of you."

Gwen hugged Emma around her slender waist, "Thanks Captain. She likes funny cheese too."

"Funny cheese? Do you know what its called?"

Gwen shook her head, "No but I know what it looks like! I'll go find it." Gwen adjusted the straps to her turtle backpack before turning and running down the aisle in search of Regina's favorite cheese. Even from where Emma stood, she could hear Gwen humming to herself as she looking around. A tiny fond smile slipped onto Emma's face as she watched. This could be easy. In a few years, Emma would be Gwen's mother for real and she would share Gwen with a wife, her wife, Regina, and it could be easy. Easy because Gwen was such a perfect little girl, beautiful of heart and kind in soul, everything Emma wished for in a child. Emma could be the kind of mother that she use to dream of having growing up in foster care and she would have a partner in Regina to rely on if Emma needed help. Regina would be-will be-a wonderful mother for Gwen and Emma will get to see all of it because they will be bonded through marriage and tied together through love. This could be easy. They could be a family, Gwen and Henry, and Regina. Emma would finally have a family all her own.

Gwen bounced back over and held up a tightly wrapped block of feta cheese for Emma, "This one."

Emma took it with a smile, "Good job First Mate. Back to work with you! Go on, back in the crows nest."

"Yes ma'am!" Gwen held her arms out for Emma to pick her up and set her back inside, which Emma had to do with arm since she still held the cheese. Once she had Gwen settled, she stepped back to inspect the feta. Before becoming a bounty hunter, she had spent close to a year working in a pizza shop where she picked up all kinds of knowledge and skills about food. For instance, she had learned that feta cheese was made with unpasteurized milk and, having been pregnant once herself, she knew that unpasteurized anything was a pretty big no-no for pregnant woman. It could harm the child even lead to killing the child before it was even born because of the danger of listeria inside the unpasteurized cheeses. As sweet as the gesture was, she probably couldn't serve the feta to Regina. Unless baking it in the oven at a higher temp would bake out the danger. She glanced at Gwen's grinning face, noting how pleased she was with herself having remembered Regina's favorite things, and knew she couldn't tell Gwen no. So she put the feta with the mozzarella and made a note to herself to cook it longer.

Checking to make sure Gwen was still sitting in the cart with her back against the metal, Emma took off in a run and, like before, once it was up to speed, hopped on and rode with the momentum. They sped past aisle after aisle, leaving a trail of laughter behind them, until they came to a rolling stop in the produce section of the store. Emma hopped down with a pleased smile and glanced around.

"Alright First Mate, we've reached port. Time to stalk up!" She moved around the cart to pick Gwen up and set the girl on her hip, pulling it after her with one hand while she browsed the selections. Oddly enough, Emma came to this part of the store more than the junk food parts because she liked to have an apple after work, just like she liked a bear claw before work, but refused to ask Regina for one of her precious red apples. Pride wouldn't allow her.

Gwen suddenly gasping in her ear startled her enough to drop the green pepper she had been inspecting.

"Mom," She turned her wide eyes on Emma, whispering, and pointed towards someone who was walking towards them, "It's grandma!"

Sure enough, there came Snow in a multicolored wool coat and with a floppy knitted beret on her head, covering her pixie cut. Her eyes were zeroed in on the child sitting on Emma's hip and she was wearing her I-want-answers look. Emma gulped.

"This can't be good. Remember the ground rules okay kid?" Emma whispered back, setting Gwen down after she nodded her understanding. Gwen adjusted her backpack, straightened out the lapels of her jacket, and fussed over her hat until Snow finally came within hearing distance of them. Then Gwen stepped forward and held out her hand towards a bemused Snow.

Using Regina's mayor voice, Gwen spoke primly to Snow, "Hello Miss White. I'm Gwyneth Milan and it's a pleasure to make you acquaintance."

"Um," Snow glanced over Gwen's head at a laughing Emma, and slowly began shaking Gwen's hand, "Nice to meet you Gwyneth."

Gwen took her hand back with a pleasant smile, "The feeling is mutual Miss White. I'm going to hug you now." And before Snow could respond, Gwen lunched herself at Snow and wrapped her arms around Snow's middle. The Queen tried to remain impassive towards the strange child but, Snow being who she was, melted under Gwen's adorable nature and soon had the girl wrapped up in an near asphyxiating hug. They both swayed in spot from the hug until Snow let her go and Gwen scurried back to Emma's side, smiling so bright the lights in the ceiling grew jealous.

"Hey kid," Emma set her hand on Gwen's shoulder, garnering her child's attention, "Why don't you pick out a pineapple for us?"

"Aye aye Captain!" Gwen gave Emma a salute and scrambled off in search of the perfect pineapple. Emma watched her with a secret pride and not so secret adoration. Smiling, she went back to rifling through the peppers.

"Emma…" Snow was using her motherly voice, the one that meant she was about to be berated for something.

"Yeah Mom?" Emma placed a green pepper and a yellow pepper inside a plastic bag and twisted it closed before tying a twit tie around it. She set it with the rest of the ingredients and maneuvered her cart around Snow's prone body towards the area she knew the basil and the spinach would be.

"Who was that?" Snow hurried after Emma, shooting inconspicuous glances towards Gwen a few aisles over comparing a fresh pineapple to a can of preserved pineapple.

"Gwen."

"Obviously," Snow rolled her eyes and pulled on Emma's arm to turn her around, the open container of basil leaves Emma had been smelling still in her hands, "I mean where did she come from?"

Emma furrowed her brows, snapping the lid to the basil container shut and tossing it into the cart, "Where kids usually come from? Two people having sex."

"_Emma_! I'm serious! There is something strange about that child. Not to mention she looks like a mini Regina."

"Hmm," Emma looked over at her daughter who had, since the last time she looked, recruited an employee to tell her which was better to use, canned or fresh, "Think so? I don't see it."

"Emma where did she come from?" Snow put her hands on her hips and gave Emma _that _look.

Emma played it off with a shrug, moving off to look at spinach, "Found her this morning after my rounds. She said she got separated from her parents so I decided to keep an eye on her until I can find them. We're makin' pizza."

"You just brought her home with you? What about Henry?"

"What about him? He's with his Mom."

"Emma…" Snow hated when Emma called Regina his mother. It was something they fought about on a daily basis because Snow didn't see Regina as Henry's mother whereas Emma did.

Emma whirled on Snow, eyes narrowed, ready to fight about it one more time but Gwen bounced over between them and held up a can of pineapples, effectively breaking the up the conflict before it began.

"I got the kind for pizza Captain! Is that everything we need?"

Emma took can and set it in the cart with the container of spinach she had chosen, "Not quite First Mate. We still need some tomato sauce and cornmeal. But you did a fine job! This old Captain couldn't ask for a finer first mate."

Gwen beamed and held her arms out for Emma who obliged, scooping the child up and placing her in the cart among the different goods they had chosen together. Gwen settled herself down, pressed her backpack against the grate and pulling her knees against her chest so that her converse clad feet wouldn't touch anything.

Snow gaped at her daughter and at Gwen, "You can't put her in there Emma! It's against the rules not to mention dangerous and unsanitary!"

Gwen giggled between the fingers she held over her mouth, "You sound like my Mommy when she caught Mom pushing me around before. 'Cept Mommy told Mom she had to sleep on the couch for endangering me and then Mommy carried me to the car. It was funny."

Emma leaned her forearms on the handle of the cart, smirking, "That right?"

"Yup! Mom stuck her tongue out at Mommy when Mommy wasn't looking too."

Emma chuckled and nodded her accent, "Sounds like something your Mom would do." Mother and daughter shared a secret smile, knowing who they were talking about, while Snow just looked at them confused as ever.

"You know her Mom Emma?" Snow crinkled her nose and tilted her head in thought, shifting the heavy end of her beret all to one side.

"Sort of," Emma waved it off dismissively and began pushing the cart again, "It was nice seeing you Mom! Let's do Granny's with Dad soon okay? Bye!"

"Goodbye Miss White! Have a good day! Drive safely!" Gwen waved, smiling sweetly at the stoic Snow White left standing among fruits and vegetables.

Emma pushed them around until they found the sauce and the cornmeal then pushed them to the check out where she paid for everything. They rode back to Emma's bug, narrowly avoiding cars because of Emma standing on the lower rack and riding on the momentum of the cart. Gwen giggled like mad, sort of sounding like Regina when she cackled like the Evil Queen she use to be, and hollered apologies at the cars after they honked at their Sheriff. Somehow they managed to make it to the bug unharmed and Emma loaded everything up while Gwen strapped herself into the front seat and toyed with the radio.

The drive back with short, Emma didn't live that far from the store, and soon enough Emma had everything upstairs and spread across the counter with Gwen bouncing by her hip.

"How can I help Mom?"

Emma grabbed the can of sauce and the can of diced pineapple, passing them into Gwen's hands with a smile, "Can you work a can opener?"

"Yes ma' am! Mommy taught me."

"Good. Find the can opener and dump that stuff into these. Drain the pineapple before you dump though. Do you know how to do that?" Emma bent to retrieve a stack of hard plastic 6th pans from the cupboard built into the kitchen island and handed two of them to Gwen.

"Yes ma'am." While Gwen did that in her own area of the kitchen, using a stool to stand on, Emma diced the peppers on a cutting board until they were batonnet and used the French knife to scoop them up and dump them into their given 6th pans. She repeated the process with the sausage they had picked out and used the knife to slice open the plastic packaging of the pepperoni and sliced ham. They too, went into their own 6th pan. Emma had to dice the chicken up and sate it, as chicken need to be cooked before it was put onto pizza to reduce salmonella contamination. The cooked chicken went into a 6th pan to await its use for Regina's pizza. Once everything was chopped up, and Gwen had finished her job, Emma poured a considerable amount of flower into a hotel pan.

"Oh this part is my favorite!" Gwen mumbled, probably to herself, but she said it loud enough Emma heard it. She flashed the girl a smile.

"Sprinkle some cornmeal onto the cutting board Gwen." Gwen nodded and scrambled to comply while Emma opened the oven. She placed a sheet pan on the rack upside down and closed the oven back up, reaching for the dials to adjust it to the temp so it could preheat. Then she moved over to the three perfectly smooth dough balls shining under the florescent light because of the light sheen of cooking spray Emma had coated them in the keep the saran wrap from sticking to their tops. She took one into her hand and dropped it into the flour, rolling it around until the entire thing had a light coat. Gwen watched with great fascination as Emma pinched the sides and flipped it over to stretch out the sides she had just pinched until the dough ball was about the size of Gwen's little face.

"Ready First Mate?" Emma smirked.

Gwen nodded enthusiastically, stepping off the stool with her arms raised in case she need to intercept Emma's tossing, "Ready Captain! Fire away!"

Emma picked up the small disc of dough and, holding it on her knuckles, began tossing it into the air. Each time it went up, it came down onto her knuckles allowing the momentum of the throws let the dough stretch, and stretch until it was about 16 inches in diameter. Grinning at Gwen's obvious amazement, Emma spread the dough out onto the cornmeal dusted cutting board to await its toppings.

"Okay Gwen," Emma pointed her flour covered hands at the line of 6th pans filled with various toppings, "Go for it. You know what goes first?"

The girl climbed up onto her stool, sitting on her knees, and surveyed her options with Emma standing behind her just in case she fell. Silently, Gwen pointed a finger towards the tomato sauce. Emma nodded. Gwen let out a happy sound and used the ladle to spread a thin coat off sauce onto the pizza dough, starting in the center and working in circles round and round. Once she finished that she sprinkled cheese onto the layer of sauce, almost to much cheese until Emma intervened to remind her that if she put to much cheese the ingredients wouldn't cook all the way. After that they had fun throwing cut up sausage and circles of pepperoni onto the pizza face, as well as handfuls of batonneted peppers. In the process Emma managed to rub all of the flour off of her hands onto Gwen's face and in her hair. The girl giggled and rushed over to the hotel pan full of it to throw a handful at Emma which turned into a small flour fight until the oven beeped, reminding the humans of its existence.

Emma trudged through the thick coat of flour on the floor to grab the cutting board with the pizza on it, motioning for Gwen to pull the oven open, and after the girl did, slid the pizza off the board onto the sheet pan. Gwen closed the oven up and looked up at Emma, smiling past the flour on her lips and her nose.

"Want to do another one while this one cooks First Mate ?"

"Yeah! Let's do Mommy's!"

"Okay sounds good. Why don't you grate Mommy's cheese while I toss the dough?"

Emma ended up tossing both dough balls and placed them both on separate cornmeal coated cutting boards so that Gwen would have all the time she needed to grate enough cheese for Regina's pizza. The girl was slow as it was, not the Emma minded, and she could tell that Gwen was going extra slow so that it would be perfect for Regina. Since Emma had already thrown the pizzas and slathered sauce on both, she decided to cut the basil into chiffonade for the garnish on Regina's pizza. Finally Gwen exclaimed her excitement over finishing and came over to sprinkle a healthy dose of feta onto Regina's pizza. Emma placed the cooked chicken onto the pizza and Gwen carefully placed baby spinach leaves strategically to be evenly spaced with the chicken. Emma topped it off with a sprinkle of basil chiffonade and clapped her hands to rid it of anything clinging to her palms.

"Looking good, Mini Regina. Hang on." Emma turned to the oven to take out the pizza inside it, now finished, and used two grill spatulas to pull it out since she didn't own a classic pizza peel. Then she took the cutting board with Regina's pizza and slid it onto the sheet pan, hearing it sizzle the moment the raw dough toughed the heated metal. Oven closed back up, she turned to see Gwen finished the third pizza.

"Cheese? That's all you want on that one?"

Gwen nodded and sprinkled the remaining basil chiffonade onto it, "Cheese is Henry's favorite."

"That's sweet of you," Emma placed a kiss atop the girls head, "Listen, your Mommy's pizza will be about 20 minutes so I'm gonna call her real quick. While I do why don't you clean yourself up. Sound good?"

Gwen nodded and hopped down from the stool, racing out of the kitchen into the bathroom around the corner. Emma waited to hear water running to make sure Gwen was doing what Emma asked her too before pulling her cellphone out and dialing Regina's number. After three rings, the former mayor and owner of Emma Swan's complete devotion, answered the phone.

"_Miss Swan you had better have a very good reason for interrupting my time with my son right now." _

Emma smirked at the annoyance laced into every word spoken to her, "Have you and our son eaten yet Miss Mills?"

"_I beg your pardon?" _

"No need to beg. It was just a simple question. Have you two eaten yet?"

There was a lengthy pause, and then, "_Miss Swan, if this is another pathetic attempt at inviting yourself over for dinner, then you will find yourself very disappointed." _

"Not at all. Considered me colored curious. Have you?"

Regina sighed into the receiver, "_Not yet Sheriff. I was just about to go ask Henry if he would like to order in tonight because I'm feeling a little tired. Not that it's any of your business." _

"Perfect. 'Cause I made you something special and my little helper made something for Henry too. You just sit back and relax Regina. Don't worry about a thing."

"_Miss Swan, I have no interest in anything you have to offer." _

"Well that's just to damn bad isn't it? I'll see you in about 30 minutes, give or take. Do you need anything?"

There was another lengthy pause, this was even longer than the last, until Regina finally spoke, whispered more like, "_Can you bring me coconut cookies? I've been craving them all day but I didn't want to leave Henry home alone to run to the store and get them." _

Emma smiled a loving smile and closed her eyes thinking about the pregnant woman asking her to take care of her craving for her, for their child growing inside of Regina, "Sure, no problem Regina. See you then."

"_Yes Sheriff Swan, 'see you then'." _

Emma ended the call and stuffed her phone back into her pocket, making it a plan to talk to Regina after they ate about their to-be-born child and getting Regina to admit the truth.

**Next chapter will be dinner with Regina and Henry and Gwen will be there too! Hope you guys liked it. Thanks for all of your feedback, its super awesome! You guys kickass! Lots of love for you all from me! **


	4. Chapter 4

The heat pooling from the containers holding Regina's pizza were doing well of warming Emma though she continued to shiver where she stood on the doorstep. Nervousness had began to creep up on her the moment she stepped onto the stood of the mayoral mansion and, try as she might, Emma couldn't fight it. Talking to Regina about the baby-about Gwen-was an inevitable outcome of tonight especially considering that Emma had brought Gwen along with her. Emma knew how she felt about Regina, she had known even before the former mayor had stumbled through the street in the middle of the night in all her regal glory to berate Emma for making her have feelings. Because of that fateful night, Emma also knew how Regina felt about her but getting Regina to admit that again while not drunk and spiraling down from an orgasm would be more difficult than pulling shark teeth out of a live sharks maw. No matter how she went at it, her hand was going to get bit off in the process and she'd have to deal with the fallout all on her own. Being brave enough for something like that should have come naturally, being the daughter of the oh so great Prince Charming after all, but it didn't. Luckily, she had coconut cookies as a peace offering to distract Regina from murdering her when Emma went all Dr. Phil on her feelings. This could work, this would have to work because Emma was not about to pass up the chance of getting to watch Gwen develop within Regina.

"Psst, Mom!" Gwen nudged Emma's hip with the tip of the container holding Henry's cheese pizza and the sausage pepperoni pepper mess Gwen and Emma would share to get Emma's attention, "You gonna knock or are we gonna stand in the cold? Cause our yummies are getting cold too."

Emma smiled down at her child, shifting Regina's cookies under her arm to pat the girls shoulder affectionately, "I was just taking a moment to collect myself. Remember the ground rules?"

Gwen sighed in an agitated way and shifted from one foot to the other impatiently, "I'm not allowed to call Mommy, Mommy 'cause we have to keep it a secret unless we absolutely have to tell her. And Henry can't know either 'cause he'll tell Mommy."

"Right good. Let's do this." Sucking in one more calming breath, Emma stepped forward to knock the tip of her boot against the pristine door of the mansion. They didn't have to wait long before it was ripped open to reveal Regina in all of her glory with a curious Henry peeking around her profile at the strange girl standing beside his blond mother. And as always was the case, Emma's breath died in her lungs and her brain fried at the sight of Regina Mills.

The former mayor was dressed surprisingly casual in compassion to her usual power suits and tailored skirts that made her ass look like heaven itself. Surprisingly she was barefoot, her manicured nails painted a pretty blue color to match the blue of yoga pants she had on. More appropriately worded, the blue yoga pants painted onto the feminine curve of her hips, the toned slopes of her thighs running all the way down her slim calves to her bare ankles. Emma's mouth was at conflict, not sure if it wanted to water or go dry. But then she took in the loose fitting black shirt the brunette wore and the way it hung off one shoulder to bare the olive toned sternum and free a shoulder to be nipped at by the cold air getting in. Emma resisted the urge to step forward and press her lips to the exposed flesh. The brunettes short hair was clipped back, out of her face that happened to be free of makeup and obviously tired but in the best of ways. So this was a pregnant Regina, well, Emma liked. Emma liked a lot.

"Hey Emma!" Henry popped out from behind Regina and gave his mother a short wave that Emma returned.

"Hey Kid."

"Miss Swan," Regina's eyes dropped to the cookies tucked under Emma's arm and-_fuck_-she licked her lips and Emma nearly fainted, "Your not entirely useless it seems. Did you get the brand I told you too?"

"Ah…oh! The cookies, right, yeah. Here." Emma struggled to hand them over, shaking with nerves still and now shaking from her struggle to stop her body's desire to reach for the brunette only an arms length away. Regina raised an inquisitive brow at Emma but said nothing, taking the proffered package of cookies. Then her eyes caught sight a rainbow colored hat that, oddly, was attached to the head of a strange child. And it was like Regina melted before Emma's eyes. A beautiful smile bloomed on the former mayors face and the brunette woman dropped to a knee in front of Gwen, holding out a hand towards the girl.

"Why hello little one. Who might you be?"

Gwen stepped forward to place her hand in her mothers after shooting Emma a hesitant glance. Brown eyes and ocean colored eyes locked in an intense way that made Emma think the two Mills were sharing a silent conversation though what they could be saying, Emma didn't know. She watched Regina's face for any kind of recognition, any flash of knowing but all she saw was the softest of smiles and the burning mixture of feelings hiding behind Regina's eyes, just out of Emma's reach of understanding, all directed towards the child.

"I'm Gwyneth Milan and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Mills," Gwen glanced past Regina towards Henry and gave her brother a goofy smile, "Hey Henry."

Regina's face showed her surprise at Gwen's polite introduction and, partly, her knowledge of Henry's name. She gave Gwen's hand one last shake before standing back on her sore feet, reaching out to protectively lay a hand on her currently flat stomach. Something Emma didn't miss.

"Hi." Henry stared at the girl with his eyes narrowed. She sure looked a heck of a lot like both of his moms. The siblings shared a stare off until Gwen silently handed the pizzas to Regina with a kind smile and followed Henry into the mansion without a word being spoken between the two. Both woman watched the children go with a mixture of bewilderment and amusement that faded into equal parts adoration when giggled began floating from the place the kids had disappeared off too.

"So," Emma spoke, bringing Regina's intensely beautiful eyes back to her, and held out the Tupperware container she held with Regina's pizza in it, "I made you something."

Regina dropped her eyes to it, sniffing in a haughtily way, "I see that. What is it?"

Emma shuffled the tip of her boot along the welcome matt to distract herself from her own awkward shyness while also trying to hide the blush warming her cheeks, "It's, ah, pizza. Chicken spinach and feta on hand tossed crust. Don't worry. It's not poisoned or anything."

Emma grinned when Regina huffed and folded her arms at the jab, turning her head away. Emma instantly missed the attention of those eyes.

"Cute Miss Swan. Very cute. Just know that the only reason I'm not blasting you down my walk right now is because you brought me cookies and that adorable child you brought with you is still inside. So, if you'd please, come in. My feet are getting cold standing here." With the Regina turned and, with every bit of sass stored inside that small body, stormed away swaying her hips, leaving the door open behind her for Emma to come through. Emma tilted her head, grinning, to watch that ass in those yoga pants.

"Now Miss Swan!" Damn, caught staring. Like a scolded puppy, Emma scuttled inside with her head bowed, closing the door behind her, and followed the master of the house into the kitchen.

Regina had already taken the pizza out of the containers and put them on separate plates by the time Emma came in. All of Henry's cheese was set on a platter and Emma and Gwen's mess of a pizza on another. She smiled at it fondly, thinking back to their flour fight and the careless way they had decorated that pizza.

"Miss Swan, what are you smiling at?" Emma looked up from the pizza to Regina's curious face, tingling from the intensity of her gaze.

"Nothing. Here you go. I'll go get the kids," She held in the snigger at her own choice of wording, choosing the smirk instead which earned her another look from her brunette counterpart, "and make sure they are washed up."

Regina was slow to reach for the container being offered to her, eying Emma up and down instead. Because of her eyes being locked on Emma she didn't noticed what her hands were doing until her fingers brushed against Emma's. The two jumped at the contact, each feeling the buzz burning up their veins aimed straight for their quivering hearts. Emma was the first to step away, all but dumping the pizza onto Regina, and stumbled out of the kitchen in a hurry to escape the scorching feelings passing between them. Breathing became a hard task, each intake being molten and feeling like lead inside her lungs. God, the things Regina did to her and without even trying to boot! Sighing, Emma followed the sound of giggles straight to Henry's room and peeked through the cracked door.

The sight awaiting her on the other side of that door turned her already erratically beating heart to mush. Henry was leaned against the headboard of his bed with his beloved fairytale book splayed open in his lap, his hand pointing out a picture on the page for Gwen to look at while he read to her. Gwen sat snug against her brothers side with her little head rested on his shoulder, smiling and nodding along with everything he was saying like he was Jesus teaching his disciples. She lived on every word he breathed with an insurmountable amount of trust for the brunette she sat beside, her eyes wide with excitement and mouth smiling a small, little smile. Gwen adored her big brother, Emma could see that now. She almost felt guilty for breaking up their time together.

"Hey you kids, dinner is ready. Let's go get those grubby hands clean or your Mom will murder me for getting any speck of dirt on her shiny cutlery." Both children snapped their heads up at Emma's voice, sporting impish grins that didn't bode with Emma. She narrowed her eyes at them, watching them through the eyes of a suspicious mother as they hopped off the bed and moved past her into the bathroom. She could hear their loud whispers over the top of the water running.

"Gwen…" Emma stood in the doorway of the bathroom, still giving her children her best motherly look. Gwen didn't look up from the soup Henry was helping her lather onto her hands, just a little twitch of her nose told Emma she even heard her. And Henry, he was glancing at Emma from beneath his eyelashes every two seconds. Something was definitely up.

"Gwyneth, did you break our ground rules?"

Gwen and Henry shared a look but neither said anything. That practically confirmed Emma's wanting question.

"Gwen! You said you wouldn't do that!"

Gwen finally looked at Emma and the woman wished she hadn't. Her little lip was poked out in the cutest pout, her big eyes looking like shimmering seas swirling from the aftermath of a monstrous storm. Oh that pout. Who ever taught her that pout was going to pay for it dearly later.

"But Mom it's not my fault! Henry figured it out and kept asking me questions until I accidentally said something. He tricked me!"

Henry gasped and shook his head, giving his little sister his best version of their brunette mothers patent glare, "That's not true at all Mom. I asked if she was related to you and she told me the whole story! She also said-"

Gwen squeaked and rushed to cover Henry's mouth, staring deeply into his eyes to convey something she couldn't say out loud, "That part is our secret Henry! You can't tell Mom!"

Henry's brows dipped in confusion, and he pulled Gwen's hand from his mouth by her wrist, "But you said-"

"Yeah but we have to wait until the time is right. It's not right yet."

The siblings nodded to one another then shifted their gazes to their shared blond mother staring at both of them with that look that made them believe they were in serious trouble. Being children of Regina Mills made them nearly impervious to any kind of threat or fear so they merely shrugged her and moved past her hips to hurry downstairs to the dinning room, leaving Emma confused and slightly upset for being left out of the loop. Kids these days. She gave a huff and a roll of her eyes, stomping down the steps to join her family in the dinning room.

Gwen was being helped into a chair by Henry who was smirking at his sisters little legs. They were practically the same age in this time era, Henry only a few years ahead, and yet Gwen had the height of a toddler. Once she was in the chair, she shot Henry a glare like she knew he had been disrespecting her height even if he didn't say it aloud. Regina sat at the head of the table with her eyes closed, her mouth moving slightly from chewing on a mouthful of the pizza she held between her hands. Emma could see crumbles of coconut cookie atop the already lavished pizza and, judging from the pleased sounds vibrating in Regina's throat, she was enjoying the seemingly disgusting combination. Emma took the seat on Regina's left, watching her counterpart eat her pregnancy craving modified pizza through a thin layer of obvious disgust.

"Mmm, Miss Swan this is probably the best pizza I have had the privilege of eating in such a long while," Regina cracked her eyes open, flicking her russet eyes over Emma's face like she was trying to memorize Emma's reaction to the small compliment, "Which restaurant to you buy it from? I'd like to know for future trips."

Gwen's giggling from her seat attracted Regina's attention, which the girl smiled at once she realized she had it. She nibbled at her pizza, not taking her eyes off her mother, who continued to stare at the girl.

"What is so funny Gwyneth?"

"Call me Gwen ma'am. Please." Gwen smiled and Henry hid his smirk behind his pizza, or so he thought, Emma caught it and sent the boy a warning glare.

Unconsciously, a smile crept onto Regina's face at the girls sweetness and she gave the girl a little nod of acquiescence, "Okay Gwen, what do you find so funny?"

Gwen set her pizza on the plate and reached for a napkin to wipe her lips with, Henry had to help her for her arms to were to short to make the reach alone, "Thank you Henry." She gave her brother a warm smile that she turned on Regina, "Well, Emma didn't buy these pizzas. That's what I thought was funny. Me and Emma-"

"Emma and I." Regina corrected out of habit. Gwen nodded but pouted for being interrupted.

"Emma and I made them ourselves! 'Cause we're the coolest, right Emma?"

"Your dang right we are, First Mate! The world isn't even ready for us."

Gwen shook her head solemnly as if this was a serious topic, giving a little sad sigh towards her slice of pizza, "It's true. They just don't know how to handle all of our awesomeness."

Mother and daughter shared smiles that, after watching for a moment, Henry joined in on, throwing a protective arm around his little sisters shoulders. Regina watched on curiously from her place at the table, nibbling daintily at her pizza that she couldn't tear her self away from no matter she tried. She had already eaten three pieces.

"Well Miss Swan, I must say I'm surprised you had the capability to create anything without messing it up."

Emma ignored the sting she felt from Regina's jibe, choosing instead to bite into a piece of pizza and speak around it, "I made Henry and he didn't come out to bad I think."

Regina waved a dismissive hand, "That is obviously all my doing. I am, after all, the one who raised him. You were merely the means." Henry cleared his throat to interrupt his mothers banter before it turned into a serious fight, gathering both of their gazes, "Ah, Emma you got some flour, right next to your ear."

Emma gasped and dropped her pizza onto her plate, immediately reaching up to rub away the offending particles. In her haste to rub it away she caught sound of Gwen's melodious giggling and saw the girl trying to stifle them behind her hands from the corner of her eye. She narrowed her eyes and pointed an accusing finger towards Gwen.

"You said I got it all off! Did you lie to me?"

Gwen shook her head, giggles still pouring from her parted lips, then switched thoughts and nodded, "Yup."

Emma narrowed her eyes, "Oh you are so dead."

Gwen screamed a delightful scream and hopped down from her stool to speed away. Emma had already lunched from her chair and had intercepted the girl before she could even get out of the room, picking her up and throwing her over her shoulders. Slowly she began spinning, making sure she stayed away from walls to prevent Gwen from hitting any extremities on, and was rewarded by loud giggling. Gwen tried to swat at her mothers back but it proved as useless as trying to knock a dam down with a stick.

"Henry! Help! Quick, help me!"

Henry grabbed a fork from the table and stood on his chair, pointing it towards Emma as if the fork were actually a sword, "Unhand her you fiend! I am Henry the Coolest and Bravest of all the realms and you have to listen to me!"

Emma stopped spinning to eye her sons daunting pose and the smirk on his face, so very like Regina's smirk. She stuck her tongue out at the boy and gripped Gwen a little tighter to her, making it obvious no child was going to be unhanded.

"Bring it on kid!"

"Henry Mills!" All eyes switched to Regina's blazing brown ones. The former queen sat primly at the table, leg thrown over the other, with a coconut cookie in one hand which she used to point at her son. She managed to command her son with just that look, as only a mother could, and watched his every step as he slowly replaced his feet with his butt on the chair. He sulked instantly, shooting glances at his blond mother still holding his baby sister captive.

Emma gloated with a smile, giving Gwen a pat on the back, before letting the girl down onto her feet. The little brunette swayed a little from dizziness, trying to walk and ended tripping over the tip of her other shoe and falling directly in Regina's lap. The woman startled, jumping just a small inch off the chair, and looked down at the girl draped over her thighs. Slowly, Gwen lolled her head to the side to smile up at Regina, sea green eyes twinkling. Regina placed a warm palm in the middle of Gwen's back, feeling the steady rise and fall of her breathing and the pounding of her little heartbeat. A heartbeat that seemed so familiar already.

"Are you alright dear?"

"Yes ma'am. It was a lotta fun, don't be mad at Emma just 'cause it was dangerous."

Regina's brows shot up from surprise at Gwen's knowing of what Regina was already thinking. Gwen smiled knowingly at her mother, wiggling a little to free her arm from underneath her so she could grab for Regina's free hand. Once she had it encased between her two hands, Gwen hugged it against her chest, just above her beating heart. Then she stared up into Regina's russet eyes, willing her mother to understand what Gwen was trying to tell her without words. When Regina just stared down at Gwen hugging her hand against her with that same perplexed look, Gwen moved one of her hands to splay it gently across Regina's abdomen. Finally, Regina understood. A gasp tore from the former queens red lips, tears filling her eyes, an all consuming feeling filling her up from the tips of her toes to the crown of her head. She moved her hand from Gwen's back to lightly pull her fingers through Gwen's soft hair, scratching at the scalp with her blunt nails lightly the way she use to do with Henry.

"Gwen…" Regina whispered lovingly, cradling the back of her child's head with her palm. She gently prided her hand from Gwen's hold but still held it close to the girls heart, tapping her fingertip against Gwen's sternum to the echo of each beat.

Emma watched the entire interaction from where she still stood, emotions running wild inside her. That was her child and that was her child's mother, loving one another in a strange embrace. Sharing a beautiful moment that she was blessed to see. Regina had never looked so beautiful to Emma than in that moment, completely unguarded by her high walls and just simply loving Gwen with her eyes and the soft way she held her daughter. A little contented sigh was growing in her chest but she held it down, afraid it would disturb this moment.

"Henry, dear, why don't you and Gwen go get dessert in the fridge? I need to speak with Emma." Regina helped Gwen to her feet, smoothing her hair down lovingly, before pushing her gently towards Henry.

"Sure Mom," Henry took Gwen's hand, tugging her into the kitchen, "C'mon Gwen. Mom made apple pie."

"Oh! That's my favorite!"

Once both children were out of sight, Regina whirled on Emma, eyes blazing with a terrifying fury. Slowly Emma began stepping away from Regina's wrath but the brunette followed her until Emma's back came in contact with a wall and she had no where else to go. Like the predator she was, Regina stalked towards Emma, all sass with hips swaying and lips pulled tight into a snarl. Her finger came up to jab Emma's chest roughly, knocking the air from the blond.

"_Miss Swan_! You will kindly explain to me what the hell is going on and how that girl," Regina gestured towards where Gwen had just left with Henry, "Is here. Now. And as old as she is."

Emma opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to come up with a good response but ended up saying something she didn't plan on saying at all. Stupid as ever Emma threw up the words and immediately wished she hadn't the moment they tumbled out.

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant with my child Regina?"

Regina's eyes widened and she stepped back, both of her hands coming to rest on her stomach housing their child. Housing Gwen. Seeing the look on Regina's face set a fire in Emma's eyes and the tables were instantly turned. She began stalking Regina as the brunette slowly backed from her.

"I mean, you came over, kissed me, let me love you and whispered that you loved me in my ear-"

"I did no such thing!" Regina snarled but Emma could tell, she was lashing out because of the fear burning behind her eyes.

" And then in the morning you just left. Now your pregnant, some fucking how, and its mine. And you don't even have the decency to tell me. What? Did you plan on keeping me out of the loop? Plan on raising our child without my ever knowing? Were you planning on telling me at all!? God damn it Regina, stop looking at me like that and tell me!" Emma's chest was heaving, shameful tears were burning her eyes and making the bridge of her nose sting. She didn't even bother to wipe them away when they began to roll down her cheeks, to focused on Regina's face. The brunette watched the tears and flinched when they dripped from her chin to hit the floor below.

"Regina." Russet eyes lifted and locked with Emma's, the both of them trying to force the other to see something but they were trying to force different things for compatibility to work.

"I…Miss Swan…Emma, can this wait?"

"No. Now."

"Emma please," Regina reached out to touch her fingertips lightly against the back of Emma's hand, looking at into Emma's face with a pleading look, "Please. Just until after Henry and Gwen have gone to sleep. Please."

Emma let out a shuttering breath, relenting instantly the moment she felt Regina's touch, "Fine," She whispered gently, turning her hand around the grip Regina's fingers, "But I want answers Regina. I want to know how its possible, if you were going to tell me, I want you to tell me everything."

"And I will. I promise. But you have to tell me about Gwen too and how its possible that she is here."

"You have yourself a deal Miss Mills."

**Holy crap. You guys are so fucking awesome. I mean, all the attention for just this one story? I do declare. The shout out on tumblr, thank you ma'am! And all your awesome reviews. You guys are gonna make me blush, shoot! Also, many of you seem to be worried about the health of you teeth due to the sugary goodness of this fic. Never fear! We have house dentists so if you'll just step over there and get yourself checked out, it would be much appreciated! Have a good day Swan Queeners and best of luck to everyone when Lacey comes on Sunday! *crosses fingers* **


	5. Chapter 5

"Can we watch a movie Mom?"

"Oh good idea Henry! I _love_ movies. Please?"

"Oh sweet Jesus, how can you fight two puppy faces? Look at them. Look at that Regina. Look."

"Miss Swan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do shut up."

"Right. Sure. Good idea. You got this whole parent thing down. I'll watch." Emma leaned back into the sofa, draping her arm over the back and throwing her foot up onto Regina's glass coffee table. The former mayor narrowed her eyes at the action, turning a glare onto Emma's grinning face. Slowly, without looking away, Regina reached out with the tip of her heel, kicked Emma's feet off her table. Only when Emma lost her balance from the unexpected attack and fell off the couch, did Regina smile. Gwen's giggling broadened that same smile.

Henry groaned, shaking his hand, "Gwen don't encourage them."

Gwen bounced in her seat, little hands clapping excitedly in front of her, and she turned to her brother to push and pull on his coat sleeve, "Henry! It's _cute_! That's how they show their love! I wanna do that to someone I love some day." The little girl sunk into the couch with a longing sigh, smiling towards her two mothers sitting on the couch opposite of Henry and Gwen.

Henry stared at her sister like she was crazy, "You think that was cute? You do know that they fight, like, all the time. Mom tried to kill Emma with a poisoned turnover!"

Gwen cupped Henry's cheeks, wagging his head back and forth, "I _know_! Isn't it _adorable_!? Don't you know Henry, that girls are always mean to the people they like? Goodness Henry, get with the times. Honestly._" _

Henry gripped his sisters wrists light, pulling her hands away from his face before she did something crazy like pinch his cheeks, "Okay…there's a girl who is really mean to me at school. Does that mean she likes me?"

Gwen nodded vehemently, "Definitely."

"Oh…is she gonna poison me with an apple turnover you think?"

Gwen heaved another dreamy sigh, falling back into the couch cushions with one arm draped over her forehead, "If your lucky."

"Oh," Henry scrunched up his nose, "Girls are weird."

"Alright children! That's quite enough of that." While Henry and Gwen had been discussing the perils of love they had neglected to notice how both of their mothers began to blush the instant it was brought up and how both woman couldn't hold eye contact. Regina smoothed out nonexistent wrinkles in her yoga pants, immediately feeling the loss of one of her pristine pencil skirts. Damn pregnancy making her lax in the clothing department. And the food areas too. Her eyes cut to the cookies on the table and couldn't stop herself for reaching for one, her taste buds already calling for the chocolate covered coconut filled delights. Emma's hand came into her view and grabbed the very one she had been reaching for before her fingertips could even grace the cookie. The brunette whipped her head in Emma's direction, mouth agape in shock that Emma would be stupid enough to steal a pregnant woman's food.

"Miss Swan! What do you think your doing!?"

Emma shrugged, munching on the cookie, "I paid for it. And it looked good so whatever."

Regina gaped for but a second longer before she snatched the cookie right out of Emma's hand and took a helping bite out of it, moaning theatrically just to spite the blond.

"Hey! Give that back! It's mine!" Emma began reaching for it but Regina held it out of Emma's reach, chewing her mouthful of cookie obnoxiously in the blondes face.

"See!? So cute!" Gwen whispered to Henry, bouncing in her seat with her hands over her mouth. Henry looked very unamused by his sister at the moment.

Emma huffed and threw herself back into her corner of the couch, throwing glares at Regina every time the woman hummed happily after taking another bite of her cookie.

"So kid," Gwen and Henry exchanged looks, not sure which one it was Emma was referring too, "why don't you tell your Mommy how you got here that way I don't have to later when she is grilling my ass about-"

"_Miss Swan_! Do not. Use. That language. In front of. My children!" Regina seethed, punctuating each word with a hard knock of her fist against Emma's bicep.

"Ow hey! You mean _our _children!"

Regina snorted indignantly with an eye roll, performing her patent hair flip and folding her arms across her chest, "Please. Like I would want to share children with the likes of you."

"To late," Emma gave Henry and Gwen a cheeky grin, "You already do." Then Emma indicated towards Regina's belly with a suggestive look to which the brunette gave Emma another punch for.

Then, as if nothing happened, Regina was all smiles once again. Emma blamed it all on the hormones she had been suffering through for months now. Actually, how many months had it been? 2 maybe 3? Was Regina 3 months along? Inconspicuously Emma checked out Regina's stomach for any sign of a bump but the woman was an expert at hiding things, that baggy t-shirt of hers did well to conceal anything. As of that moment, Emma made it a personal goal to get a peak under the hood at that bump. She had always envisioned Regina to be adorable and sexy in everything she did, that included pregnancy. The fact that Regina was pregnant with her child made Emma want to see her and feel her all that much more. By the end of tonight, she'd get her hands on that belly.

"Gwyneth, darling, can you please explain to me how you got here?" Regina's voice was sweet, loving, only in the way a mothers could be yet Gwen still shied away from it as if the girl were being scolded for something she had done wrong. It perplexed Emma. Gwen had not acted that way when Emma asked her. Something was amiss here.

"First Mate?" Gwen looked away from Emma as well. Strange indeed. Very strange.

"What did you call her Emma?"

"Hang on Gina. Gwen what's wrong?"

"I don't want to tell Mommy…" Both parents shared a look before moving between the divide of the coffee table to kneel in front of Gwen. Regina reached up to weave her fingers through her daughters soft hair, running the pad of her thumb lightly across Gwen's thin eyebrow. Emma rested a hand on her daughters knee but looked to Henry for any sign that he may know what was wrong with Gwen but he too was looking away. His throat looked tight and his eyes were scrunched up the way they did when he was trying really hard not to say something.

"Why don't you want to tell me darling? I won't be upset with you, I promise." But Gwen just shook her head, not once looking into the faces of either her mothers. Instead she kept her head turned though she allowed Regina to continue smoothing her thumb across areas of Gwen's face, her brow, her cheekbone, her chin. Visibly it settled the girl, kept her calm, but both parents could tell through their maternal instincts that something was wrong.

"Gwen? C'mon. It's not that bad. I didn't get mad at you did I? And your Mommy won't either. You made her awesome pizza remember? She totally loved her pizza way to much to be mad with you."

A small smirk lit up Gwen's face briefly before it faded, "I know but….can't you just tell her Mom? Please?"

Regina looked to Emma with a pleading look, a look Emma had only ever seen once before. When Henry was trapped in the mines and needed rescuing. Another one of Regina's babies needed rescuing. Well, Emma to the rescue then.

"Ah, the way the kid explained it, she did magic without our supervision. Found some spell in the family spell book," Gwen lifted her head at that, a look of guilt and fear that was similar to the one Emma had seen when she first met the girl, but it was snuffed out quickly when she pulled her sock monkey hat down over her face, "she said she was trying to find one that she could show you that would make you proud and it ended up being a time reversal spell or something. It brought her here and now we need to help her get back."

Silence.

Regina's eyes doubled in size and she slowly turned her head to catch Gwen's guilty gaze. Mother and daughter shared a long, long look that Emma couldn't make any sense of. What did make sense to her was Henry shifting awkwardly in his seat and his swift turn of the head to stare at his sister strangely.

Then the words tumbled out of his mouth, "But Gwen I thought you said that-"

Gwen lunged for Henry. Literally lunged. They both tumbled over the arm rest of the couch with Gwen's little hand covering Henry's mouth to muffle any sound. Both mothers watched, unsure if they wanted to be frightened, angered, or amused. Emma went for all three. Of course Regina chose a mix between anger and fright.

She rose onto her feet and rounded the couch, both hands planted firmly on her hips as she glowered down at her wrestling children, "Gwyneth. Henry. Stop that right now. Your going to hurt yourselves. Why do you divert your energies elsewhere, like brushing your teeth for instance. Gwyneth there are extra toothbrushes-"

Gwen beamed at her mother atop her brother on whom she sat, "I know where they are Mommy! I 'member! And I 'member, 2 whole minutes on the fronts and the backs. And make sure I floss too. 'Cause my teeth are my friends and I want to take care of my friends so they can take care of me."

Regina gave a tender smile, to both of her children who now sat on their knees in front of, mirroring her smile, "That's right baby. Good girl." Regina knelt to deal kisses atop both their heads, patting down their hair and smoothing her thumb over their eyebrows. Then she gave them both a pat on their arms, gesturing towards the stairs with a tilt of her head. Both children complied on command, though Gwen lingered long after Henry began his assent up the stairs to give Regina a sloppy kiss to the cheek and a firm hug around the neck. Just like in the kitchen for Emma, Gwen mumbled an 'I love you' to Regina but, unlike Emma, Regina responded in kind with the words already having grown to love Gwen via the smaller version of Gwen growing within Regina that the brunette had began to bond with since conception. Long after the children left Regina still was kneeling on the floor, looking at the stairs with a thoughtful look on her face, almost in a trance. A trance that only broke when Emma kneeled beside her and touched her shoulder lightly.

Regina looked to Emma, blinking in confusion, "Emma?"

"What's wrong Gina?"

"She lied to you. About how she got here, she lied to you."

Emma wanted to be affected, to recoil from the news, but part of her knew already. Somehow part of her knew. She couldn't understand why but she knew her daughter had lied and not because of her superpower. As it were, Emma's superpower had no effect on Gwen. Perhaps the child had adopted the power from Emma and it made her impervious to the power but Gwen neglected to remember that Emma was Mom. And Mom's know best.

Emma nodded, leaning back onto her hands on the floor beside Regina who sat down primly with her legs tucked under her, "I figured. Don't know about what, but I figured."

Regina sighed, looking towards the ceiling where she knew her children were a floor above her, "There is no family spell book Miss Swan. My mother had a book that was intended to go to me but she was stingy with her power and didn't want to share it which was fine with me. At the time I wanted nothing to do with magic. After I became Queen, the Evil one that is, and I began to dabble in magic I made my own book of spells. I never intended to give this book to my children either because I never wanted my children to use the kind of magic I was practicing. Well, in honesty I didn't think I'd be having children," Regina shot Emma a fleeting glance, "I suppose I have you to thank for that."

Emma reached out to lay a hand on Regina's knee, "Believe me, it's my pleasure."

Regina scoffed and flicked Emma' touch off her knee, the sweet look from before melted back into distain, "Must you be so crass all the time Miss Swan?"

"Hey," Emma reached out to cup Regina's jaw, albeit lightly, and tug the woman's face towards hers to force eye contact, "I didn't mean it that way. Must you always assume I'm being an ass? You think so lowly of me all the time. Kind of pisses me off actually."

Regina tugged her jaw away, a faint blush dusting the olive tint of her smooth cheeks, "If you didn't mean in that way then how did you mean it?"

Emma sighed, "Really Regina? Don't you know by now how I feel about you?"

The witch looked away, though her hands dropped to her belly, rubbing her thumbs into the slight protrusion Emma couldn't see beneath the shirt, "I suppose not Miss Swan. Though I wouldn't be opposed to hearing it."

Emma reached out slowly to bat Regina's hands away, replacing them with her own. A broad smile bloomed on Emma's face when she finally felt what her child-their child-was doing to Regina. The bump wasn't big, not yet, but it was defiantly there and it was warm against Emma's palm, her fingertips lightly kneading the flesh in a pleasant message that made Regina groan quietly in the back of her throat.

"I'm not sure how this baby thing works but," Emma swiped her thumb across Regina's belly one more time, silently speaking to a smaller, less formed version of Gwen, "if it has anything to do with how much I love you, then, we must have made one hell of a kid Gina. 'Cause I got it bad for you. Real bad."

Regina studied Emma for a long time in complete silence before a small, beautifully genuine smile lit of the brunette's face, "Truly Emma?"

Emma nodded, standing and holding her hand out for Regina to take, "Truly. C'mere. Let's get you off the floor and back onto the couch." The blond helped Regina to her feet with a gentle tug of the hug, accidentally pulling just a little to hard to cause the brunette to stumble into her arms. Since Regina was there, Emma might as well wrap her arms around the woman's hips and hug her against her body, feeling the small bump of life they had created between them. So she did.

"Emma….there's so much I want to say to you…about this, about us but I…" Regina broke off with a sigh, resting her forehead against the cleft of Emma's shoulder, just like she had the one and only time they had made love.

Emma hummed, rubbing her palm up and down the small of Regina's back, "And you can tell me. Over time. Just answer me one question. Just one."

Regina nodded causing her nose to nuzzle against Emma's tender neck, "I suppose I owe you that much dear."

"You were going to tell me about the baby right? You weren't just…going to keep her a secret from me, right?"

Regina took her time to answer. She smoothed her palm up and down Emma's bare bicep before trailing it up and over Emma's shoulder to bury her hand in Emma's hair, tangling her fingers through curls and holding them tight in a solid fist. As if she needed a purchase on the blond before speaking so she could hold Emma against if she tried to run or disappear.

"I was going to tell you…I just…wasn't sure when I could. I was-I am-afraid Emma. Of what this means. This child…Gwen…she shouldn't have happened. Not that I am saying I'm not glad that it did, because I am. It has fulfilled my every dream as a young girl but…through magic, babies don't happen Emma. I know about as much as you do."

Emma smiled, shaking her head, and planted a soft kiss against Regina's temple, "Your such a dirty liar Gina."

The woman in her arms sighed, gripping the hair in her fist just a fraction tighter, "Fine…I have heard a few rare stories about how true love can create magic babies but it should be impossible because…"

"Because Daniel was your true love." And Emma tried very hard to keep the jealously out of her voice. She did. For Regina's sake.

"Or so I thought…" Regina heaved another great sigh that was followed with a bout of small shakes that wracked the woman's body. Emma felt like a huge jerk for broaching this subject so she changed it. Fast. Real fucking fast.

"So you said the kid lied…she has your book your know. She said I couldn't read it because I wasn't part of the family bloodline. Guess you just made it so I couldn't-"

Regina pulled away from Emma slightly, staring up at the blond in confusion and, was that fear? Emma didn't like seeing that. Didn't like it at all.

"What do you mean 'you couldn't read it', you couldn't see the words on the page?"

Emma's brows furrowed, "No…Gwen said I couldn't cause I'm not-"

Regina gasped, covering her lips with the tips of her fingers, "Oh no."

"What?"

"This is bad Emma. I think I know the real reason Gwen is here…"

"What? What is it?"

"Emma…when I wrote that spell book, I made sure no one could take my power from it after I died because I hexed it so that the words would disappear from the page after I died. Make it invisible to the eye. Gone."

Emma caught on instantly, and her heart nearly stopped beating, "The pages go blank if you die."

"Precisely."

**I promise happy endings! Don't abandon ship just yet! Promise, all will be made clear! Stick with me! Gwen the Darling has a master plan, all will end happy for SWEN. Promise. But its late, and I have so much work to do tomorrow so good night all! I stayed up to write this chapter for you all at the expense of my sleep. Sometimes I don't know when to quit…anyway, night all! **


	6. Chapter 6

"Should we talk to her?"

"No. If Gwen is anything like me Emma, then she will not say a thing until she is perfectly ready to say it. We don't like being prematurely forced into things, everything has to be the way we like it when we are ready for it."

Emma bit her tongue to stop her chuckles, "Preach."

Regina paused on the steps and slowly turned to glower at the blond a few steps lower than her, "What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Uh huh. Another outburst like that and you can drive home. Forget me allowing you to sleep in my bed tonight. Your lucky enough as it is."

Emma sulked, shoulders hunkered as low as they could go, "I can't believe you were going to make me sleep in the guest room. I mean come on we-"

"The only reason you aren't sleeping in there, Miss Swan, is because the sheets are still in the wash for one and Gwen is taking up the other."

"Not because you want me to sleep beside you? Not even a little bit of it?" Regina continued up the stairs for a few beats before whispering, with a glance thrown over her shoulder at the blond, "Perhaps a small part is attributive to that."

Emma did well to hide the small victory fist pump near her hip. Regina would have made her sleep on the floor if she had caught a glimpse or noticed the little hip wiggle of a victory dance Emma did up the stairs. The rest of the trip to the brunettes master bedroom was spent in silence, nerves were creeping in to remind them that they had once shared a bed before and the consequences of that now resided in Regina's womb. There was no pressure that came with sex but there was an obvious tension that neither woman grasped fully. Yes they loved one another but it was anew, confusing love that felt like it had sprung from nowhere when in reality this love had been festered in them since their first meeting, they had just both been to stubborn to acknowledge it. And yes, they had spent their time having sex once already but that was a moment to show themselves that they could in fact meet one another on a field that wasn't for battle, rather a place for just the two of them. What was happening now was a batch of concrete being poured over them to cement their feelings as truth and keep them glued together by that knowledge. Naturally, that kind of commitment scared them and naturally they combated it the way they do best, through not speaking at all and through hiding all of their feelings behind clever walls.

Regina's eyes remained to the ground as she changed in one corner, keeping her back to Emma to hide her body from the blonde's unabashed staring though Regina only did it to hide the pleased blush painting the supposed Evil Queen's cheeks and chest. This moment wasn't like the moment before when Emma had seen the brunette in all her naked glory. The clothes had been shed in haste, hurried fingers tugging and tearing at fabric to get to the prized skin beneath just for a taste, a drink through eyes. It had been lust fed movements, wonderstruck gasps, that had fueled Emma that night and make her blind to beneath anything other than the naked woman beckoning her with a curled finger but now, only now, Emma could look. She could see the nervous way her counterpart undressed as one would if they were ashamed by something, trying to hide desperately where there were no obstructions to hide behind. Her arms hugged herself, palms curling around her hips, while she walked head down past Emma to her closet to retrieve her sleepwear, silk pajamas. In the pass Regina had made, Emma had seen faint silver lines webbing beneath the otherwise unblemished skin, peaking out beneath the splayed fingers rounding the curve of Regina's hip to the small of her back. Scars that weren't straight, clean lines but jagged and harsh the way a wound would look if it were made with a blunt object instead of a sharp one. Strange that Emma failed to noticed them before when her lips had mapped every inch of that area the last time. Guilt leaked through the thin walls of her rattling heart to seep into the core of her being, coating her in an unpleasant film that left her feeling disgusted and apathetic towards herself. The very same guilt that turned and churned emotion into a ball that promptly clogged her throat, making it difficult to swallow air and suddenly made her head heavy enough she needed to drop it against her chest, eyes falling shut. Memories of Regina becoming tense and pushing her head away flashed behind her closed lids when she recalled touching her lips to Regina's hips. There had been a manic fear that should have startled Emma that night but had only made Emma feel endeared that Regina had been self-conscious though she had never bothered to ask why, just moved to Regina's sweet thighs, to consumed by her passion and hunger for Regina to bother. Now, though, she felt the curiosity burn at her stomach that accompanied the burn of guilt, melting together to form a sweltering heat of emotions that burned behind her eyes like tears. What had happened to her Regina to make such a powerful, beautiful, strong woman like this crumble under the eyes of a lover when naked before their eyes? Whatever it was, it was centered at her hips, right in each one of those scars criss crossing over her hips and dipping into the dimples of her back.

With a frown, Emma found herself walking on silent feet towards Regina at a snails pace, hoping not to be heard so that the woman wouldn't shrink in on herself and hide away from Emma. Slowly, carefully, Emma reached out to press her fingertips lightly against the scars marring Regina but not stealing even a spec of her shining beauty. As to be expected Regina had flinched and tried to pull away but Emma's hands held tight, palms coming around the curve of her hip and her fingers dipping into the faint sex lines trailing down beneath the band of her lacey black underwear.

"Emma please don't…" Regina whispered, tears clogging the utterance in a near indiscernible way but Emma understood simply because of the emotion in it. Carefully she dropped to her knees leaving her at just the right height to place reverent, gentle kisses against the scars that had Regina in a mixed state of delight and terror. The scars she missed with her lips she paid loving attention to with swipes of her thumb and fingers, drawing hearts into them and tracing them oh so slowly.

"Stop…I'll make you sleep on the couch…I swear I will…" but Emma paid no mind to Regina's half hearted whispers, instead guiding Regina with the hands held on her to turn around so she could lather the other hip with her attentions. The muscles beneath her questing lips remained tense for a long few minutes filled with silence, not even a breath from either woman, until finally, finally, they succumbed to Emma and she felt the ghost touch of Regina's fingers against the underside of her jaw. When Emma finished, she didn't feel finished, so she turned Regina back around to kiss the sports where the scars trailed off into her back, clear down to the dip just above her cloth covered ass. Still she didn't feel finished but emotion was bubbling inside her chest and making it difficult to breath so she had to stop, resting her forehead against the small of her back, and heaved in hard, heavy stinging breaths to blow out light carbon dioxide that had filtered through the toxic environment of her traitorous lungs. Her arms reached high to hug around that swell of Regina's belly, biceps rubbing against the scars she had just worshiped with a flurry of loving kisses and caresses. She couldn't see the emotion on Regina's face but she could feel it through the slight tremble of the woman's muscles, and the heavy breathing making Emma's head rise and fall with her.

"Regina…who…what happened?" A broken sigh sounded above her, the first sound Regina had made since the weak threat to make Emma sleep on the couch. Slowly, Regina turned in Emma's arms and Emma found herself resting her temple against Regina's belly, and felt Regina's fingers begin to rake through her hair. A wonderful feeling that had her feeling like a contented kitten being lavished with their masters attentions.

"Emma…I don't know how to talk about this. I have never been very good at talking about myself or my feelings. Then again no one has cared enough to actually listen but…the fact still remains, I'm inadequate to deal with this type conversation."

Emma looked up into Regina's storming eyes, clouding with emotion and raining a downpour that washed through Emma's entire being, "Did someone do this to you?"

"Yes."

"When? Why? How?"

Regina sighed and disentangled herself from the human knot they had formed to return to her closet. She dressed in silence, Emma still sitting on her knees before the former queen, her eyes tracking Regina's every movement. Each button on the front seemed to take an hour to be done and the pull of the legs through the pants was an agonizing wait nearly sending Emma into a frenzy from anticipation. The wait dragged on when Regina padded across the carpet to the bed, turning down the covers and crawling beneath them, pulling the duvet and sheets clear up to her chin. Then she laid there quietly watching Emma, waiting it would seem, and Emma understood. She wanted Emma in bed with her for this conversation. Fine. In a haste, the woman ripped the laces of her boots from their eyelets just to yank her feet free from their leather confines. After unbuttoning and unzipping, her jeans were shucked off and tossed atop the boots, leaving her standing there awkwardly in her light green boy shorts and her white tank top. Just like before, Regina beckoned Emma with a curled finger but this time it was less sexual and more needy for the comfort of her body, not the hunger for her body. And just as was before, Emma complied with an ease and an eagerness, crawling beneath the covers. Automatically her arms reached for Regina and lapped around her waist, pulling the pregnant woman nearly on top of her to feel the closeness they both needed. Regina's sigh washed across Emma sternum which Regina placed her hand against, tracing nonsense patterns above her heart that was beating for the brunette.

"You know that I was married to Snow's father." It wasn't a question, it was a statement that bled silent resentment and aged hostility but remained just above a whisper. Emma simply nodded, not wanting to hear her voice taint the air Regina was using to spill her secrets to Emma with.

"You also know that marriages in my homeland are much different than marriages here." That Emma didn't know, nor could she comprehend, and thankfully Regina gathered that even from Emma's reining silence.

"Well dear, in this land marriage is meant to be an equal affair that allows a woman and a man to both be a prominent part of one entity. A promise to share everything and fight all battles _together. _Back in my land, marriage isn't like that. Marriage is simply a way of gaining a power over another person or getting what you need. For instance, my mother married my father for his wealth and his promise for power. Leopold married me for my ability to fill a void in the place of a mother for his Snow and the void in his bed. My beauty made it almost easy to forget he had lost his Queen.

"There are rare exceptions to this, like your parents who really did marry out of love. As nauseating as that love can be. But, as I previously stated, its rare. I did not love Leopold, I didn't even like the man as a human being. He was vile man who was only kind to his people and his daughter, never me. I think he was angry with me for not being the woman he truly loved, not being Eva but what could I do? I can't be a dead woman. He took his anger out on me only when he needed carnal release. On our wedding night, he was gentle enough I suppose but I could tell that he wasn't happy with my performance so to speak. Yet I was a virgin at the time and I was still very much in love with Daniel and I had desperately wished for it to be him that took something so precious from me so I can't really be blamed. Not in my mind anyway. Time went on and each time I was meant to perform my wifely duties and pleasure my husband, he became more rough the more his anger mounted. He began shouting at me, demanding I be more like her and do what she had done for him but I couldn't know what that was. I'm ashamed to admit that…that he often drove me to tears with his angry demands. One night he became so fed up with my crying and my inability to truly please him that he dug his nails into my hips while he had been trying to get himself...to that place. The more frustrated he became, the harder he scratched at me until he had carved into my skin and cut into the veins beneath. When I began shouting and screaming from the pain, he seemed to notice what he had done and apologized albeit halt heartily and asked for me to sleep in another room that night. He had told me he couldn't look at what he done to me, it made him feel guilty and he shouldn't have to feel such a thing about me. So I complied like a good wife should.

"That was the night I lost faith in the good side of life and turned to the blackness magic offered. And the power. I wanted Leopold to die. I wanted out. I needed out. Some call it evil but I don't think that I care much. I dare them to try going through that and reaming the goody two shoes they are without a dark thought passing through their neurotic brains. I've never…told anyone that story before Emma. Just you, only you." Regina let out a shaky breath, clinging to Emma's side like the blonde were the incarnation of life itself and should Regina loose grip at all, then she would loose everything including herself. For her part, Emma remained calm as she could considering the rage festering inside of her birthed from her new hate for the man who was, technically, her grandfather. How could her lineage be born from that man? She not have him. He was nothing to her. For what he had done to her Queen, not his, but Emma's Queen, for what he had done there was no atonement, not from her. Not ever and she'd never hear of him again, not if Snow spoke of him, not if Henry spoke of him, not if anyone spoke of him. She would hear nothing by choice, and she would pretend as though they were talking of something vile like a diseased rat and not the supposed noble man who was her grandfather.

She ran her hand up Regina's back, hoping to sooth the woman, but also trying convey that she was there, emotionally, right here with the woman she loved, "Gina…no one can blame you. Don't say anything yet, let me finish. What I mean is, I can't blame you for what you did. I know that I would have killed the bastard too if I had been in your situation. Hell, I'd kill him now if he was still alive. How dare he Regina, how fucking dare he," Emma growled lowly, and buried her nose in Regina's hair, nuzzling her nose against the part running through soft brunette hair, "but don't worry baby, I promise I'll never let anything like that ever happen to you again. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to protect you, like I always have, because I love you and because you're the mother of both my children. Me and you are going to be that team you were talking about, its going to be an equal relationship. We're gonna go through all of the crazy pregnancy stuff together and then we're going to raise Gwen together. We're going to survive Henry as a teenager together and then you know whats going to happen? I'm going to build us rickety rocking chairs that I'll look up how to do online and then when we grow old together, we can sit on the porch and rock in them together while we hold hands. How's that sound?"

Regina raised herself onto her forearms, peering down at Emma through a layer of tears, astonished and touched by the words Emma had just promised to her. They had melted her heart into a useless puddle of goo yet managed to make her swoon as though she were still just a girl capable of such trifle things. The happy flutter in her stomach was sure to perturb the small life inside her, upsetting their carefully built routine. At the moment she couldn't care about that because at the moment her eyes were locked in an intense stare shared with the Savior and it was making her feel wonderful. Without a word said Regina cupped Emma's warm cheek and meshed their lips together in a needing, showing way. Regina needed Emma to feel what she did to her, what her words had done to her. For so long a blackness had coated her bones in a sticky tar that wouldn't melt or budge no matter what tool she used. Henry managed to scrape some layers of the stuff away but it was so thick that he could only do so much. Yet in that moment, with just those words, Emma Swan had managed to blast away the layers as if they were nothing. Some still remained, the stubborn stuff, and that would take gradual time to remove but she now knew Emma possessed the power needed for such a feat. Their shared passion and their devoted love would be the sandpaper for her tar coated bones that, with years of buffing, would someday be white like they once where. Normal. Happy. Soon it would be like the power hungry, revenge driven queen ever never existed within her.

Right now, however, that was not a thought in Regina Mills mind. What she though was what she felt and all she felt was Emma's glorious kiss and Emma's wonderful hands massaging the small of her back while she was being given that glorious kiss. Being in the position they were in, with Regina leaned over the top of the blond, was a little uncomfortable for the pregnant woman what with her protruding belly creating a small space between them and creating a pulling weight against her spine but not even that could pull her away from her Emma in that moment. Nothing could. Except perhaps the timid knock of their daughter sounding from the closed door.

Gwen saw no light underneath the door so she presumed her parents to be asleep. That had never deterred her before so she rose on her toes to twist the handle, pushing it open after the handle gave a soft click. When she stepped into the dark room she didn't pause to adjust to the light change, nor did she fret over the fear of darkness she still held though tried to pretend didn't exist, instead she took sure steps towards Regina's side of the bed. Thankfully by the time Gwen reached up and tugged herself into the bed, Regina and Emma had disentangled themselves and created a nice space of a few unwanted inches between them.

"Gwen, darling, what is it? Did you have a bad dream?" Regina reached blindly for her child, finding her on instinct and cupped the small cheek against her palm. Gwen leaned against her mothers touch, reaching up to close her fingers around Regina's wrist in a way that made it seem like Gwen was hugging the wrist with her hands.

"No, I just can't sleep. Is Mom asleep?"

Regina turned her head towards Emma to catch the woman shake her head. Understanding Regina nodded, gripping Emma's hand beneath the covers, "It would seem so dear."

"Mommy?"

"Yes darling?"

"Can you make me some sleepy tea?"

"Of course Gwyneth."

"And," Gwen actually hugged Regina's wrist now, pulling her forearm against her chest and tucked Regina's hand that had been cradling her cheek beneath her chin, "Do you think we could talk Mommy?"

"Of course darling. Come on." Regina cooed just before sitting up in the bed with Gwen in her lap. When she stood she carefully set Gwen onto her feet, took her hand, and guided the girl downstairs into the kitchen. Familiar with the kitchen, Gwen immediately went to collect the tea that would make her drowsy enough to slip into sleep easily and handed it over to Regina for her to use. Regna gave a grateful pat to the top of the girls head, combing her fingers through her hair to tame a few wild strands. With the water in the kettle boiling, all that was left to do was wait.

She turned to Gwen and lowered herself into a crouch, something that had become increasingly difficult to do now that she was growing larger. Thankfully the bulge of her stomach hadn't grown to much larger than her previously flat stomach so it wasn't a truly daunting task yet and wouldn't be for another couple months. She kept her knees slightly parted to make room and held her arms out, clearly indicating she wanted Gwen to fill the void she had purposefully created. The child didn't wait to comply, immediately going to her mother and basking in the warm, protecting and very loving embrace offered to her. Regina cradled the child's head against her bosom, pressing her temple against her heartbeat but not roughly, just enough for the girl to feel her there. Gwen's little arms found purchase around Regina's neck, fingers toying with the ends of Regina's longer than usual hair.

"What did you want to talk about dear? Something that is keeping you up."

Gwen burrowed further into her mother, nearly knocking the brunette off her feet and into the cabinet behind her, "I lied to Mom. About how I got here and why I came here."

"I know sweetheart."

Gwen pulled back in shock, her mouth agape and her eyes wide, "You do? How?"

Regina smiled, tapping the end of Gwen's nose with the tip of her finger affectionately, "Because I'm your mother. I always know."

Gwen snorted in a way that reminded Regina of an indignant Emma, affection swelling at the thought of her blond and at the fact that her girl adapted that from said blonde, "Figures. I should have known. That's how you knew about Henry."

Regina raised a single brow, "Henry?"

Gwen pulled away from Regina to wave a dismissive hand around, her eyes rolling from obvious annoyance towards her brother acting like the boy he was, "Yeah. He does stupid stuff when he becomes a teenager but you always knew what he was up too. 'Cause your Mommy. I tried to tell him but he thinks he's really cool so his coolness makes him above your powers of Momhood. He's not, just so you know. Mom says its good for his ego to let him think he is though. I'm not sure what that means but I go with it just because it sounds like it makes sense."

Regina let out a quiet laugh towards her son and towards Gwen's acting like a sister would towards her brother, affection masked by a great deal of annoyance, "Is that so?"

"Oh yes ma'am. This one time he started courting-"

Regina's eyebrows nearly touched the ceiling from the girls word choice, "Courting?"

"Yes. That's what you called it. Mom said something else that made you slap her and call her crude. I asked what it meant but you both said I'm not allowed to know. You say that a lot."

Regna nodded, having expected such a thing from Emma and encouraged Gwen to continue her story with a wave of her hand.

"So Henry started courting this girl that he said he liked but we could tell that he didn't like her you know? He looked annoyed every time she talked and stuff. I didn't like when she talked either, she sounded like one of those yappy dogs from cartoons."

Regina laughed again, giving her daughter an affectionate look through her laughter, "Really dear?"

"Yes ma'am. So anyway, he eventually gave up trying to like this girl and then finally he brought this guy over. His name was um…I can't remember. I think he was related to Gingerbread or something. Anyway Henry finally told us that he was dating the Gingerbread guy and he acted all weird about it, like you guys were going to be mad or something," Gwen rolled her eyes and gave her mother a look that clearly read _can you believe him? _dragging another chuckle from the brunette, "but you weren't mad at all. You already knew. Mom was a little surprised but she wasn't mad. She just hugged him and asked if the Gingerbread guy wanted a beer. But you glared at Mom for that and she offered him juice instead. It was funny. She's so silly sometimes."

Regina smiled fondly at the ceiling where she knew her Emma to be above her, "That she is Gwyneth darling, that she is."

The kettle above them began to sound and Regina hurried to stop its screams before they could wake Henry or Emma if she had gone to sleep. She made both she and Gwen a cup of steaming tea before depositing the hot kettle now half empty into the sink to be dealt with in the morning. While the tea was left to steep, she went back to Gwen's level though this time she just sat on the cold tile, leaving her legs open for Gwen' to sit between which the child did, leaning against her mother and resting her ear over Regina's heart just like before.

"Why did you lie to your Mother dear?" Regina cupped the back of Gwen's head, rubbing the tips of her fingers against the girls tender scalp, when her little body tensed up. Seeking comfort, Gwen wove her arms around Regina's belly, essentially hugging herself.

"Because I didn't know how to tell her. She would have gotten upset with me and I couldn't have done what I came here to do. I…had to lie. I'm sorry Mommy. I know you told me never to lie but I had too! I had too…" Gwen began to tremble from her battle against the eminent tears wanting to push their way through. Regina hugged her girl all the more tighter.

"It's okay baby girl, I understand. I'm not angry with you, I just want to know why you felt you had to lie. That's all."

"I miss you so much Mommy…."

Regina's heart cracked, sending a shiver through her and echoing the faintest pain of a heartbreak, "I'm right here darling."

Gwen shook her head and that was when Regina felt hot tears hit her neck and roll down to soak into the collar of her pajama top, "No your not Mommy. In the future, you….you go to sleep. And you don't wake up. Mom didn't even get to go to your sad going away party where everyone wore black. Grandma cried so loud that Grandpa had to take her away. Henry and Gingerbread guy cried too. I didn't cry though Mommy, I just wanted you to wake up. I needed you to wake up. So I hid behind one of the tall plants so brother wouldn't find me. He must have thought I went home 'cause he went to look for me there. When he left I went back to where they put you in the ground and sat there so we could talk. We came up with a good idea. I'd find your spell book and then we could stop the accident from happening! That way Mom wouldn't go to jail and Henry wouldn't have to become my new guardian cause you'd still be alive. 'Cept when I found the spell book it was blank. At first I didn't know what to do, and then I cried cause then I thought I really did loose you but I remembered what you taught me about magic and just figured out how to do it myself. But…I'm still not really sure how I did it in the first place. All I know is, I only have three more days before I get sent back to my time. So I have three days to get Mom to keep her promise."

Regina forced down all of her questions about what Gwen revealed to her. Like to what accident she was referring to, why Emma went to jail, and, more importantly, why on earth was Snow White sobbing at her funeral. The curiosity burned her but she stamped it down, all but one question that slipped from her lips unbidden.

"What promise?"

Gwen picked her head up off Regina's chest to stare into Regina's eyes, searching for something but Regina couldn't guess as to what that was, "The promise she made you. To never drink alcohol again. That's why Mom went to jail. 'Cause you and Mom went to a celebration party at Granny's and Mom drank a beer. I heard Mom tell the lawyer that she only drank one and she was under the legal limit, whatever that means. But when she was driving home, a truck hit the car and because Mom had drank, and you died, the cop said it was called um…ve…vehicular manslaughter. When Mom lost her court trial and they put her in handcuffs and started to take her away, she yelled at brother and me. She said 'Take care of her Henry! I'll be out soon and we can be together again. I'll fix this. We'll do this together. I promise I'll never touch a drink again!' then she was gone. And you were gone too. And it was sad but I'm gonna fix it. I'm gonna make it all better so that we're a family again 'cause if Mom keeps her promise now she won't drink later so that means you won't go to that party and no one will go to jail or get in crashes. I'll fix this." Gwen puffed out her little chest in determination, her hands firmly curled against her hips but her eyes remained locked with the chocolate gaze of her mother.

Regina let out her held breath and crushed her child against her chest, nearly hugging the life right out of the girl, "Oh Gwen…my brave little girl…my Gwen…we'll fix this. We'll fix this together."

"I don't won't you to leave me again Mommy…"

"I won't baby. I promise I won't."

"Okay…we'll fix this?"

"Yes baby," Regina placed a gentle kiss atop the girls head, not relenting on her hold in the least, "We'll fix this. I love you sweetheart. So much."

"I love you too Mommy."

**I've discovered that the catalyst to my writing of longer chapters and better chapters is caffeine. Don't ask me how it works, and don't call me Grover, but it works. Therefore, I drank quite a bit of Mountain Dew before this chapter and vah-la! This happened! I hope you enjoyed it. Told you guys I wasn't going to kill Regina off! Not permanently anyway. All will end happy for this story. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Do let me know. Until next time people of internet land, be safe! **


	7. Chapter 7

The sun filtering between the crack in the thick satin curtains over Regina's windows wasn't what woke Emma come morning. What truly woke her was a coldness that was equal to loneliness in the bed and, when she rolled over to see the mussed but empty spot beside her among the blankets, her fears were confirmed. Regina had not come back to bed last night. Emotions and a many, many different happenings last night had taken their toll on Emma and, try as she might, she couldn't stay awake long enough to wait for her brunette to come back to bed. When Gwen had come in Emma had assumed that the girl wanted to speak to Regina without Emma's presence and let them slip away even if her mind was telling her to follow, she respected their privacy. She had hoped that Regina would return but apparently, that wasn't the case.

With a drawn own yawn and a stretch of her arms high above her head, Emma resigned to get up for the day, regardless of the fact that it was still technically morning and she usually didn't wake until afternoon on the weekends. Breakfast sounded good though. Maybe Regina had breakfast going downstairs, that would be awesome. She stumbled on sleepy balance, barely making it out the door of the bedroom before tripping over the hallway rug and stumbling into her sons small form. Mother and son collided but managed to stay upright, preventing them both from taking a nasty spill down the stairs, thanks to Emma's strong arms hugging the boy to her body.

"Mom!"

Emma chuckled in her low sleep laden voice, ruffling Henry's hair affectionately, "Mornin' kid. Does your Mom have any good cereal in the house?"

"I have some Reese's Puffs hidden in the pantry. If we're quiet we can sneak some. She thinks they are the weird granola crunch things she bought me."

"Sweet. You are so my son."

"Shh. This way." Henry lowered to a crouch, waved his mother after him, and descended the stairs with his hand smoothing over the top of the banister all the way down. Emma rolled her head at his theatrics but found herself playing along, dropping to a crouch equal to his and crept down the stairs behind him. She didn't have the heart to tell him that they may very well run into the very same woman they were trying to sneak around down in the kitchen. He might share his sugary cereal with her and that would just be cruel.

They moved through the foyer with no problem, meeting no resistance much to Henry's ever growing glee for this cereal mission. Not a sound was to be heard throughout the entirety of the Mills Mansion save the quiet slapping of mother and sons bare feet against the pristine marble flooring they scampered across. Emma had been expecting the sounds of pots and pans clanking in the kitchen or Gwen's falsetto voice lilting throughout the halls but alas her hears met nothing. Strange.

Henry led Emma into the empty kitchen, past the kitchen island, to the door of the pantry which he promptly tugged open. When he disappeared inside, Emma finally stood from her crouch to look around. The coffee machine sat silently awaiting use by one of its human masters. The oven and stove remained in stand by. Microwave silent as ever, no beeping song to signal a finished product. No small browned headed girl dancing around with a turtle backpack strapped to her shoulders. And no pregnant brunette watching her daughter with an amused, loving smile lighting up her face. Perhaps Regina wasn't the early riser Emma had assumed her to be but that doesn't explain just where Regina was.

"Mom! I got the goods. Get us bowls!" Emma jumped at the sound of Henry's urgent whisper behind her, bringing her from her thoughts and back to the present. He shook the box of cereal in the direction of the cupboards to prompt his mother before silently moving to the fridge for milk. Emma gave one last glance towards the coffee machine before complying to her sons demands.

All of Regina's dishes were a beautiful crystal, small elegant etchings of swirls, loops, flower vines, and embellished apple blossoms weaving through the brim of the plates and bowls. The glasses, which were a shelf above her eye line, she was sure were the same. They were sure to be extremely expensive. Emma felt uncomfortable just looking at them let alone considering eat out of them. Though, after a careful and quiet search, she saw no other alternative. With a sigh, she pulled two crystal bowls from the shelf, closed the cupboard, and move towards the eager Henry holding two shining spoons in one hand and the half gallon of milk in the other.

She handed him the bowls in exchange for the spoons. Of course, they were expensive too. Sterling silver all except for the gold inlaid within the handle of it, forming beautiful swirls to match the patterns in the bowls and coming together to form a single apple blossom in the middle of the handle. All she could do was shake her head at them, a fond smile tugging at her lips.

"Your mother can't function if everything cost more than my car, can she kid?"

Henry looked up from the bowls had filled with cereal and was pouring milk into to give his mother a Regina-esque look, "What are you talking about?"

Emma shrugged, and dropped the spoons into the bowls, "Nothing. Let's eat this in the living room so we can catch your show before its over."

"Good idea Mom!" Henry pushed Emma's bowl towards her after grabbing his and rushed out of the kitchen, all previous caution over being quiet long forgotten. With an eye roll, Emma followed after her son cradling her bowl against her chest.

When she reached the living room she had expected to see Henry sitting on the floor in front of the TV with his cartoon flashing colors around the monochrome room but instead found her son standing in the doorway, jaw dropped, eyes fixed on the couch. Laying on the couch, with her feet poking out from under the grey cotton blanket draped over her body, was a sleeping Regina. Her tousled bob was splayed over the contrasting cream colored pillow her head was rested against, mixing with the splayed hair of Gwen's similar bob of hair. The girls back was pressed tightly against Regina's front, Regina's slender arms wrapped securely around Gwen, with Gwen's little hands entangled with her mothers. Regina had her chin on Gwen's shoulder, her breaths making a tuff of Gwen's hair tickle the girls ear lobe causing Gwen's nose to twitch in her sleep.

Emma nearly dropped her cereal. Intense feelings were worming into her heart, borrowing thick holes through the walls and wiggling their way to the center function that made it beat on its own. For one, she had never seen Regina so at ease or even so happy. The smoothness of her face, devoid of any makeup or any form of her patent sneer, tickled the part of her that longed to see Regina like this. At peace. Complete and utter peace. Gwen herself looked more adorable than Emma had yet to see the girl. The contented little smile she had even in her sleep matched the adorable way her nose continued to twitch and how, each time it twitched, she would grip her mothers hand tighter for just a fraction of a second. This was Emma's whole heart. The boy beside her, shoveling food into his mouth while never taking his wide eyes off the scene in front of him. That girl sleeping in the arms of the woman Emma loved so dearly. This was her heart in the form of a family. Sighing happily, Emma moved quietly towards the end of the couch and gently lifted Regina's feet to make space for her to sit, dropping the brunettes feet into her lap. Thankfully it didn't wake either of the brunette females slumbering but, the sudden buzzing of the mansion doorbell echoing throughout the house, did. Henry set his bowl atop the glass coffee table and hurried back into the foyer to answer the door.

Regina blinked lazy, sleepy brown eyes and fought a yawn, curling her toes when she stretched her calves. The bareness of her legs rubbed against the bareness of another set of legs, confusing the woman until she looked over the top of Gwen's head at Emma smiling at her. Long locks of blond hair tumbled over her shoulders in a messy fashion, hiding the fact she wasn't wearing a bra under her thin, work-worn tank top. Regina unconsciously returned the smile, rubbing the heel of her foot against the side of Emma's thigh much like a cat rubbed itself against something or someone.

"Mornin'." Emma mumbled, reaching her hand down to close her fingers around the ankle of the foot playing with her, running the tips of her fingers down over the bump of the ankle bone to the bottom of the foot and began rubbing circles into the arch of the delicate foot with her thumb.

Regina hummed at the pleasant feeling, hugging Gwen to herself just a bit tighter, "Good morning dear. Why aren't you wearing any pants?"

"Are you kidding? Nothing can make me put pants on until noon. I can't stand pants."

"Maybe if you didn't wear skin tight jeans, then you wouldn't be so opposed to dressing for the world like the rest of us." Regina teased, dropping her head back onto her pillow to enjoy the small massage Emma was giving to her.

"Don't pretend you don't love my ass in those jeans. I've seen you checking me out." Emma gave her partner a lascivious look, pointedly dragging her eyes up the form hiding under the blanket.

Regina opened her mouth to say something equally flirty but was cut off by Gwen's sleepy voice being muffled by the pillow, "Ew Mom. I'm right here you know."

Both woman laughed at their grumbling child now wiggling in Regina's arms to get away from the sunlight filling the room, finding a safe place between the pillow and her mothers shoulder. Regina placed a light kiss against the girls head, tousling the ends of her hair with her fingers.

"Good morning darling."

Emma moved her hand from Regina's foot to Gwen's calf, giving it a gentle pat, "Morning kid. You hungry?"

" 's too early to be happy you guys. Go back to sleep." But Gwen still peeked her head up from under the blankets and away from her safe place against Regina to give Emma's bowl of cereal a longing look. Emma chuckled and extended her arm to offer the child some. Gwen sat up a little to take the bowl and set it on the table beside Henry's, freeing Emma's hands so that the girl could tug on them.

"Lay down with us Mom then we can have foods."

Emma chuckled once more but gave Gwen her wish. She laid down in the precarious position near the edge of the couch to squish Gwen between the two woman. Until Gwen grunted in a dissatisfaction and tugged on Emma's shoulders until she was laying flat on her back with Gwen on her stomach and Regina against her side. The brunette woman hummed happily at the new position, laying her head down on Emma's shoulder and threw a leg and an arm over the blond, one over her hips and the arm over Gwen's shoulders. Emma reached over Gwen's shoulders to tangle her fingers with Regina's, both of them now holding Gwen against Emma's chest that the girl had her head rested against. The only thing missing was Henry.

"Much better." Gwen mumbled tiredly, already drifting back to sleep now that she had the combined warmth of both her mothers protecting her. Regina hummed her agreement, nuzzling her nose against the column of Emma's throat to show her appreciation to the blond for rubbing her fingertips into her shoulder where her arm was around her.

Before any of them could fall back asleep however, a gasp from the doorway startled them. Three sets of eyes flew open to take in their guests. Snow stood with her hands cupped over her mouth, wide eyes taking in the picturesque family image residing on the couch. Standing beside her was a very confused looking Prince Charming, his eyes skipping between the child and the clasped hands being held protectively over the child. Neither Emma's parents spoke, just stared, and sucked in huge breaths of air. Regina growled quietly, burrowing her head into the crook of Emma's shoulder to spew a sling of curses each involving her parents names.

Henry took in the sight of his family cuddling and scrunched up his nose in distaste. There was clearly space for him but he was to manly to be cuddling with a bunch of girls. He was practically a man at 12! There was no way he was partaking in this. Even if it did look real cozy. Huffing, he tromped over to his cereal and plopped onto the floor, ladling bites into his mouth. His annoyance melted when he felt fingers touch the back of his neck, looping strands of his hair around and around. He glanced over his shoulder to see Gwen smiling at him, her arm outstretched. She beckoned him with a finger but he pouted, shaking his head, which made her giggle quite loudly.

"What is going on here!? Emma why are you all cuddled up with the Evil Queen!?" Charming squeaked out, raising his hand to gesture towards their hand holding and Regina's leg thrown over Emma's pelvis.

"That is a good question. An equally good question is why are you two here?"

"We were looking for you! Your father and I were going to help you find Gwyneth's parents today but you weren't home. There was flour all over the place so we were afraid that something happened to you. We thought Henry might know since we know you call him every night before bed and he said you were here. Emma, what's going on?" Snow stared at her daughter, trying with all her might to ignore the fact that Regina was curled around her and was currently nuzzling against the tender flesh behind Emma's ear, smirking.

"Good morning Miss White! Good morning Mister Charming!" Gwen wiggled from under her parents arms to her feet, rushing over to her grandparents and hugging them around their hips. Then she paused like she had done something wrong and struck her hand out for them to shake. Both adults shook her hand in a daze, cutting glances towards their daughter every other second.

"Good morning Gwen…" Snow mumbled, clearly shaken.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister Charming. I'm Gwyneth Milan."

"Pleasure to meet you too Gwyneth…"

"Oh please Mister Charming, call me Gwen. Only my Mommy calls me Gwyneth and my Mom only calls me that when I'm in trouble."

"So she calls you Gwyneth all the time?"

"Hey! Stay out of this Henry!"

From the couch, both mothers were trying as they might to hide their proud grins at Gwen's manors. Emma hid hers within Regina's hair, tilting her head away from her parents and burring it like she was smelling Regina's hair. Likewise, Regina was hiding hers against Emma's sternum, pulling the blanket over the both of their heads. They clung to one another beneath the cover of the grey cotton, listening as the siblings began bickering while their grandparents remained stoically shocked in the doorway.

"That's your daughter." Emma whispered to Regina, earning her an elated smile and a kiss brushed against the underside of her jaw.

"That's _our _daughter my love."

Emma grinned and moved their clasped hands atop Regina's pregnant belly, thinking of the present Gwen growing inside. Yes, their daughter.

"Excuse me but would someone please explain what's going on here!?" Snow's voice broke the moment between Regina and Emma, drawing their attention away from their child's growth. One of them tugged the blanket down far enough to uncover their eyes and their noses, seeing Snow fuming in front of a still dumbstruck Charming. The sight sent both Savior and Queen into a fit of laughter that blended with the giggles of Henry and Gwen from the floor where they had taken up eating the cereal on the tabletop.

**A happy update! Since all of you told me that you cried from the last chapter! Have no fear, none of my stories ever have sad endings. It's not how I roll. This will end HAPPY. Very happy. So keep that in mind. Now, leave me all the thoughts you had on this chapter! Good day! **


	8. Chapter 8

"Well….this is awkward."

"Gwen! Your not helping!"

"Henry, I'm not _trying _to help. I'm stating a fact. Duh." Gwen rolled her eyes and nudged her brother in his ribcage with her pointy elbow. Henry nudged right back, using more force than Gwen had, knocking the girl into his brunette mother Gwen was beside on the sofa. Regina turned her glare on her children, softening it only in the slightest.

"Stop that. Both of you."

"Yes ma'am."

"Sorry Mom." Gwen stifled her giggle behind her hand and nudged Henry again once Regina looked away. When he turned to glare at her she mouthed the words _kiss up _which got her another hard nudge effectively knocking Gwen into Regina once more.

Regina sighed, rubbing her temples, "Emma, darling, would you separate them please?"

"Sure. No problem." Emma shrugged before scooping Henry up and tossing him over the back of the sofa, already knowing he'd land on the pile of throw pillows and blankets piled on the floor. His indignant cries at being manhandled sent Gwen into another fit of giggles meant to tease her brother, as well as the raspberries she blew him when he poked his head over the back of the sofa.

"Not like that! _Emma_!"

"Sorry. Geeze. I was just doing what you told me."

"Seriously, Miss Swan? These are the parenting skills I have to look forward too? Our child is going to end up-"

"Hey! I'm a good Mom thank you very much! Tell her Gwen!"

Both sets of eyes belonging to the girls parents looked at her expectantly while she continued to swing her legs from where she sat between them. Across the table separating the two sofas sat a wide eyes Snow and an equally shocked Charming, watching the entire scene unfold and, as much they wanted to comment, couldn't conjure a single word thanks to the tightness of their throats. Each time they thought they had managed to swallow their shock, a new piece of information came up during Regina and Emma's fight.

Gwen tapped her index finger against her chin in thought, making a humming noise while she pondered, before lifting her finger up into the air, "Well there was that one time Mom let me climb Mommy's apple tree and I fell out and broke my arm-"

Regina stuck out her chin proudly, "There see?"

"-but there was also that one time Mommy took me shopping and bought me everything I wanted because Mom said I was spoiled and it made Mommy mad-"

Emma snorted, "Nice going there Gina, real good team we make."

"-of course there was the time you two went on your date night and Henry let me play mature rated video games with him and we ate all the ice cream in the house. Which was a lot cause Mom had a lot of weird cravings for ice cream all the time-"

Both woman turned to Henry who squeaked and tried to dodge behind the sofa in an attempt to hide from the double power of Mom Glares, "You can't be mad at me for something I haven't done yet!"

"-oh! But my favorite was that time Grandma made me a bow for my birthday and taught me how to fletch my own arrows! But then I accidentally shot Mommy's tree while I was practicing. So Grandpa let me try using his sword! But I accidentally melted it with my magic and the sword got all gooey and burned a lot of the grass in the back yard. Ooo, Mommy was mad when she came home-"

Regina turned angry, burning eyes on a meek Snow White and Charming, "If you even _think_ about giving my child weapons like that before I give my consent I will personally see to it you are both-"

"-seriously in trouble. That's what she meant. Just don't give the kid weapons at all okay? Just avoid the whole 'angry Regina on a warpath' thing as a whole by not giving the kid anything." Emma finished for the brunette.

"-then there was this one time that me and Lalaina were helping Henry act out _Operation Moms _and Laina accidentally burnt herself on a hot pan 'cause Mommy just finished baking something. And when she yelled it scared Henry and he tried running to her which made him burn himself on the pan and it knocked over and all the hot cookies fell on me and I got burned too. Mom was at work that time. Man did Mommy drive fast to the hospital! _Woot! _It was like a ride at Disneyland!Dr. Whale was so scared when Mommy poked him in the chest and yelled at him to not screw up when he helped us-" Gwen's eyes widened and she slapped her hands over her mouth, finally ending her spew of different stories. Henry popped back up form behind the couch to cover Gwen's hands over her mouth for double protection, his eyes darting all around the room.

"Gwen! You said we weren't suppose to tell!"

Regina narrowed her eyes and carefully prided Henry's and Gwen's hands away from the girls mouth, giving her daughter a stern not-joking look. The girl crumbled under it.

"Gwyneth, who is Lalaina?"

"Who is Gwyneth to you two!?" Snow finally spoke from her side of the room, her voice finally coming back to her. Regina held up a hand, not even gracing Snow with a look so as to keep her eyes fixating on the squirming 8 year old.

"Mom? Help!" Gwen cut pleading eyes to her blond mother who simply held up her hands and shook her head.

"Better tell your Mommy kiddo."

"_Mommy!?_" Everyone save Snow ignored Charming.

Gwen fiddling with her hands in her lap, twisting her grip around her wrist over and over in a nervous fashion, "Well…she may or may not be my twin sister."

Regina's hands flew to her stomach with a startled gasp, brown eyes wide and turned to Emma. Her blond counterpart found Regina's gaze with her jaw hung open, her own eyes equally as wide.

"_Real_ smooth Gwen."

"Shut up Henry!"

"You can't make me!"

Gwen turned in her seat to glare at her brother, mouth pursed to the side and her nose scrunched up all cute like, "Wanna bet?"

"Bring it on." With that, Gwen launched herself over the back of the sofa to tackle her brother. They wrestled for a bit before Henry wiggled loose and sped through the living room into the foyer, out of sight, with Gwen hot on his heels, shouting at him the whole way. Neither of the children's parental figures bothered to tell them not to run in the house or not to roughhouse due to their shocked state. They were having twins. Regina was going to give birth to _twins. _Slowly, smiles spread across their faces and they leaned towards one another for an intimate kiss but couldn't quite touch lips before they were interrupted by Snow's high pitched squeal. Regina's annoyed sigh washed over Emma's lips before they pulled apart and sunk into the couch, both glowering.

"Would you two _please _explain what is going on here!? Why is that little girl calling you two her parents!? And why were you two about to kiss and all cozy earlier!? _What is going on_!?" Snow's eyes were wider than Emma had ever seen them and, frankly, she was a little afraid they were going to pop out onto Regina's pristine carpet. That wouldn't go over well. She could imagine how Regina would try to murder Snow for getting eyeball juice stains on her carpet and Charming would go all heroic prince on the Evil Queen therefore making Emma do the whole White Knight routine and save Regina from Charming's sword. _Oy vey, _the drama this family had going on.

Regina smirked at Snow, enjoying the way the woman was neigh on hyperventilating and needed to grip Charming's hand like it was her lifeline due to her discomfort. She could get use to this. Being with Emma had more than one perk apparently.

"Ah," Emma awkwardly scratched at the nape of her neck, shooting her parents a sheepish smile, "So you know that whole True junk? Surprise! I found mine! Or she found me, whatever. I dunno. It found us."

Regina smiled fondly at her lover, draping her arm across the back of the sofa to playing with the curls on the nape of Emma's neck, "As eloquent as ever dear."

Charming narrowed his eyes at the obvious display of affection, "You can't be serious Emma. I mean, do you really think we can buy this?"

Snow nodded her acquiescence to what her husband was saying, "Is this some kind of payback for what happened Tuesday?"

A choked sound came from Emma, startling Regina enough to knock the condescending smirk off her face and scoot a little closer, carefully inspecting the blond for any sign of trauma. Seeing none, she felt a strange sort of panic that welling inside her much like the bouts of anger had been these days, out of no where. The pregnancy hormone driven panic made the brunette cling to Emma's arm and hug it close against her, willing the limb to be an extension of Emma's love so that she would never have to let it go. Emma nudged the woman's chin lightly with her shoulder to get her attention and, once the wide russet eyes turned up to her face, she smiled kindly. The smile acted as some kind of balm, washing over all the feelings and settling Regina back to her normal state of being though she didn't let go of Emma's arm. She quite enjoyed being close, even if she refused to admit it out loud unless her hormones forced her.

"No Mom. This isn't any kind of payback for Tuesday."

Charming was quick to jump in, "Because you know how sorry we are for that. We didn't know you were coming over."

"You really should have called…" Snow tried to be stern but the blush making her look brighter than Red's name was making that rather difficult.

"Yeah, well, you guys really shouldn't do that in the kitchen."

Regina raised a brow, an amused smirk tugging at her lips, "What happened?"

Emma scrunched up her nose in a way that was almost identical to Gwen, "I walked in on Mom S'ing Dad's D if you know what I mean."

Regina rounded her eyes on a brightly blushing Snow and Charming, her smirk very much reminiscing of the her once evil alter ego, "Oh my dear Snow, not quite the cute little virgin everyone depicts you as, are you?"

"Okay," Snow ducked her head, clearing her throat loudly, "Enough about me. We were talking about you two remember? Explain Gwen. Please."

Regina scoffed haughtily, turning her nose up at Snow, "Please. As if that is any of your business Snow."

"Ah, considered you just turned my sex life into a joke, I believe it is."

"Okay, hey, that's awkward. I'm still here. Thanks so much." Emma grumped, her pouty look matching her fathers perfectly.

He nodded, "Let's not discuss anyone's sex life please…"

"Oh Charming, hush." Snow swatted at her husbands toned bicep, silencing the whipped man instantly. Emma chuckled at his obedience until Regina raised a brow at her, lips pursed, and silenced Emma as well.

"Well darling Snow, since your daughter happens to be an animal in bed-"

"_Regina_! Oh my god, those are my _parents_!"

The brunette waved a dismissive hand, "No matter. As I was saying, since your daughter is truly a sex-goddess hidden among us beneath those hideous jackets of hers, she managed to impregnate me the one time she and I engaged one another in sex."

"But that's not possible," Charming gave his daughter a strange look, both the blonde woman and her father looking extremely uncomfortable with this whole conversation, "I mean she doesn't have a…she's not…she's a _she._"

"True," Regina gave her partner a heated look, making the two other adults in the room squirm uncomfortably, "Very true. But due to the power of the magic of our true love, somehow, between the two of us, it allowed for a child to be created. Two, apparently."

Snow blanched, ironically, "True Love got you pregnant?"

"No, your daughter got me pregnant. The magic merely gave her the means. Imagine if you will, magic. Now in essence magic is created my a being for a specific purpose and only a small amount of it is put out. So if Emma and I were to combine our magic then it would be a great deal of power and if that great deal of magic were to funnel into my body and my body alone, well, I shouldn't be able to hold it all when considering the laws of magic. That is, somehow, what we did that night except the magic we created was that of True Love and since the only priority she and I had at the time, in the moment, was to be with the other in the most intimate of ways, the magic had a mind of its own. Our magic defied all laws and combined with one another to create something special and foreign and it fell inside my body to grow in my womb until it created life from our love. That is the best and only way I can explain this because, truly, it's a miracle."

Silence fell over the room like a thick, suffocating blanket, resting heavily on Snow and Charming. As they digested the new information, Emma wrapped an arm around the brunette woman and pulled her against her side, needing to feel the woman in any kind of way. Sure she had known that it attributive to True Love that they had managed to conceive the twins but she hadn't heard in detail like that and something about the idea of it made her heart flutter. Regina had called it a miracle. They had created a miracle together. That was pretty terrific.

"So what your saying is, you two are in love and Regina is expecting. Am I right?" Charming sputtered out, pointing between the two woman. He got two nods of affirmation.

"Oh boy."

"So wait," Snow's brows furrowed in that way that had always bugged Regina, "If Regina is pregnant _now _then who is Gwen?"

Emma nodded, "Good question. Gwen is one of apparently two of the babies Gina is pregnant with but Gwen came here from the future with a super top secret mission in mind. Or something. I dunno."

"The…future?" Snow paused for along time before sinking back into the sofa and letting out a long sigh, "I need a drink."

Regina perked up, grinning manically, "Apple Cider dear?"

Snow visibly stiffened and sent a glare Regina's way, "_No _thank you. No apple products."

"Shame. It's quite delicious. Wouldn't you say so Emma? You are quite fond of the taste of my apples."

"Oh god, kill me now." Snow hid her face in her hands, shaking her head back and forth to try ridding herself of the images that clear double entendre brought up.

Regina shrugged, smirking, "Oh, well, if you insist."

Emma gave her lover a stern look but couldn't fight the smirk tugging at her lips, "Gina, play nice."

"Oh but, Emma, I thought you liked when I play dirty? And rough, if I remember correctly."

Snow's groan and Charming's uncomfortable throat clearing sent a spark of victory through that brunette that clearly showed through her pleased smirk. This was going to be a long pregnancy.

**I do enjoy making Snow and Charming uncomfortable. This is to much fun for just one chapter. However, I feel like the tables will turn in the next chapter…**


	9. Chapter 9

"So, to recap, you two are in love, truly in love, and Regina is pregnant with the present set of twins. One out of the two future set of twins, Gwen, is here in the past because she preformed some kind of magic time traveling spell to accomplish some unknown task but you two are certain that Henry is in on it. Did I forget anything?"

"Nope that just about covers it." Emma relaxed against the back of the couch, pleased that her father had finally grasped everything after about an hour of going over it again and again. Long ago both Snow and Regina had lost their patience with father and daughter and had dispersed to different sides of the house in hopes of avoiding one another. Regina had gone into the kitchen to make herself a breakfast and Snow had wondered off in the direction of her grandchildren's noise was emanating from. Emma had wanted to follow but knew she was the one silently elected to explain things to David, no matter how long it would take. But alas, they had finally reached the end of the trial and now they were both relaxed into the couch cushions.

"Well that is…not exactly what I envisioned for you when you were born but if your happy with her," David shrugged and gave his daughter an imploring stare, hoping to convey his deep meaning through it, "then that is enough for me. But it may take me time to get used to the idea of it."

Emma smirked, "The idea of me being with a woman or with Regina?"

"Both." A warm laugh rolled from Emma's opened mouth, her hands slapping at her fathers toned biceps when he chose to join her in merriment. At the moment their laughter died down they took notice of Regina standing within the doorway, apple parfait in one hand and a shiny silver spoon in another. David's mouth quirked to one side but chose to remain silently, wisely so.

Emma cast a finger towards the whip cream topped dessert, "I thought you said you were making breakfast?"

Regina made a dignified noise in the back of her throat, floating on bare feet towards Emma and sitting down primly beside her blonde counterpart, "I had a craving while I was slicing an apple. So don't ask for a bite because this is all mine. Have you cleared everything up with your father?"

"Yes she has," Charming answered instead, letting his smirk turn into a full blown smile when he watched Emma deliberately swipe her finger though the whipped cream of Regina's treat and suck it off her finger, "Sorry for it taking so long."

"Yes well, I excepted no less from you Charming. You always have been rather daft." She spooned a large bite of parfait into her mouth, humming around the spoon once the taste washed over her tongue. The man stared at her, something akin to akin on his face until Snow breezed into the room with two children right on her tale. Somehow, somewhere, they had found a stock pile of Regina's pots and pans because both Henry and Gwen held pot lids for shields and wooden spoons for swords, even strainers on their heads for helmets, as they chased after their grandmother turned pseudo-monster. Gwen flanked Snow and bopped her thigh with the spoon, drawing a surprised, but not pained, shriek from the grown woman. Using Snow's distraction, Henry flanked her blind side and tackled the back of Snow's knees, effectively knocking her back onto the couch and knocking Gwen down with her. They fell in a giggling heap of bodies and kitchen ware, a beaming Henry standing above them with his chest swelling with obvious pride over his victory. Behind him, Regina began clapped with her spoon in her mouth and her parfait cradled between her closed thighs. Emma scoffed but the definite twinkle in her eyes couldn't be ignored.

"Grams! Your squishing me!" Gwen batted at Snow's ribs with her flailing hands, attempting to push Snow's body off of her own.

"Oh dear me! Henry did you hear that!? I think there is a mouse under me! I heard her squeaking!" A devilish smile spread over Snow's otherwise smooth face save the laugh lines spreading from the corners of her lips, "And do you know what we do with mice, Henry?"

The boy shook his head, rattling the strainer atop it, cutting his eyes nervously to his squirming sister and back to his grandmothers crafty eyes.

"We tickle them!"

"No! Henry help!" Gwen shrieked but it was fruitless. Snow turned quicker than expected of a woman of her stature and immediately set her fingers into attack mode. They pranced all across Gwen's small ribcage clear up to the tender backside of her neck, sending twinkling laughter to the air to float around them. Henry's eyes widened and so did his smile, the pan lid and the spoon falling from his hands so he could come to his sisters aide and free her from the clutches of the evil monster attacking Gwen.

Regina raised a single brow at the sight of Snow playing with her children, her spoon slipping from her lips when she pulled it away and stabbed it into her dessert. This was such a strange thing. Never did she foresee her life ending up this way. If, three months prior to this pregnancy, anyone had told her she'd end up pregnant because of True Love (True Love shared with Emma Swan no less!) and that would lead into Snow White and Prince Charming becoming guests in her home, she'd have ripped their heart out and crushed it before their eyes for such blatant idiocy. Yet here she was, with Emma's arm slung over her shoulders and Emma's parents in her living room playing with her children, plural, and she felt an odd sense of complacency. Sighing quietly, she leaned against Emma and dug out a spoon full of parfait for Emma, holding it before the blonde's lips. After a doubtful second, Emma parted her lips just enough for Regina to slide the spoon in and delighted in the delicious flavors bursting to life across her taste buds.

"There," Regina's coffee eyes roved hungrily over Emma's working neck muscles as she swallowed and followed the path all the way down to her chest, fluctuating with her breathing, "Enjoy that. It's all you get."

Mischievous emerald eyes fell half closed in a truly seductive way, sending Regina's heart on a race it wouldn't win, regardless to their company filling the room still, "Oh really?"

"Really, _really_ Miss Swan." Regina purred, leaning forward without her conscious consent to plant her lips firmly against Emma's.

"Ewww! Moms come on!" Henry whined, loosely veiled disgust lacing his high rising voice.

"Henry it's _cute_! _Seriously_, stop being such a _boy_ all the time. _Gosh_." Gwen rolled her eyes, annoyed, even while she was still pinned beneath her grandmother who had, thankfully, stopped her tickling assault to gawk uncomfortably at the PDA. She met her husbands eyes to find some kind of comfort but he was clearly telling her something in a way only they could, and that was to just accept it with little contest. She huffed, set her jaw, but held the comment she wanted to say about Regina getting her face away from her daughter.

"Yeah Henry, it's cute." Emma agreed with a smirk once she managed to pull away from Regina's ever tempting lips. The woman merely chuckled lowly, obviously getting off on Snow's quiet distain for their affection, and resumed eating her breakfast dessert.

"Gwen," Charming leaned forward on the couch, his face set in a way that made Gwen's smile melt because she knew that whatever he said next would be serious, "May I ask you something?"

The small girl wiggled out from under Snow to sit primly with her legs in front of her similar to the way Regina was sitting opposite of her, her little hands smoothing out the wrinkles in her expensive jeans, "Of course but I reserve any and all rights to choose whether I would like to answer."

Regina beamed, a small raising of her jaw clearly displaying her pride, "That's my girl."

Gwen flashed a toothy grin after hearing her mother, "Thank you Mommy."

"That's alright. I understand. I was just wondered how you got here, could you tell me that?"

Gwen nodded politely and opened her mouth to reply but Emma cut her off with her stern, motherly voice, "And no lies this time Gwyneth."

The girl's face fell and she fidgeted uncomfortably, glancing at her brother for reassurance. Nodding, Henry came to sit beside her, without a word and leaving a few inches of space between them. It wasn't a lot but it was enough for the girl. She visibly relaxed and took a deep breath to explain her story.

"Henry, my Henry from the future, and Laina helped me. We needed to figure out how to get to the past so we could fix something that would stop something from happening in the future. The spell we created was suppose to make all three of us come through but for some reason, only I did. I think it's 'cause Henry can't do magic like me and Laina can. I only have a few days here until the magic wears thin and I get sent back."

'But," Henry cut in, "I'm gonna help her so we can do what we need too. Right Gwen?"

Gwen nodded, "Right." The siblings shared a fist bump without even looking at one another and straight faced. Emma wanted to laugh but knew she probably shouldn't, it might offend her children and that just wouldn't do.

Charming scratched at the stubble dusting his jaw, his brows hunkered in thought, "What are you trying to change that needs you to take such extreme measures?"

Gwen scrunched her nose to one side, pursing her lips too, "I plead the fifth."

Emma held a hand over her heart to stop the happy beating from escaping her chest, "That's definitely my girl."

Gwen bobbed her head, grinning all the while, "You taught me that Mom."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Of course she did. Teaching our child to be a criminal Miss Swan."

"Hey! That doesn't mean I'm teaching her to be a criminal! That's means I'm teaching her to protect her rights! Right Gwen?"

"Um…actually you told me to say that to Mommy whenever you break something in the house and don't want me to tell her 'cause you know I can't lie to Mommy no matter how hard I try! Somehow she always seems to find out anyway though." Gwen shook her head, eyes misted over with visions of the past.

Henry gave a solemn nod of a agreement, "She always knows everything. It's like magic or something."

"Right? We can't get away with anything." Gwen scoffed and rolled her eyes, even pouting a little.

Charming shared conversation of the eyes wit his wife before standing at the exact time that Snow stood.

"Well it's about time we leave." Snow said in an overly polite voice.

"But maybe you'd like if Snow and I took the kids off your hands for a while? So you can, ah, do pregnancy stuff." Charming blushed and scratched at his neck, clearly uncomfortable when discussing this sort of thing with his daughter.

Snow nodded vehemently, "Oh yes, of course. A pregnant woman craves a lot more than just food."

"Mom!" Now Emma was blushing too, fiercely.

"Emma it's only natural for a woman to-"

"You know what? Go ahead and take them. I'm sure they will like that and I'll like that you leave! Right now! Please. Go!" Emma shooed them away with her hands, her head ducked against her chest to hide the red painting her cheeks. Regina placed a hand on Emma's thigh to comfort the woman in her distress.

"Perfect! We'll see you in a couple hours then!" Charming boomed, patting his chest as if to search for keys in a breast pocket that wasn't there, "C'mon kids."

"Bye Mommy! Bye Mom!" Gwen waved happily, already being steered towards the door by an eager Snow White.

"Yeah bye!" Henry managed to give a wave before Charming began prompting him as well.

They saw their mothers nervous glances and half hearted waves just before they were shoved through the door by their grandparents. They were led down the walkway to Snow's station wagon and promptly climbed into the backseat. It wasn't until Snow was behind the wheel and Charming in the passengers seat that they began to understand what was going on. Both husband and wife turned in their seats to fix the children with an imploring look.

"Okay tell us everything so we can help." Snow first.

Then Charming, "Because we want in this. We can be a big help you know."

Henry looked over at his sister who had turned just at the same time, "Should we tell them?"

Gwen heaved a theatric sigh, "I suppose so but milk it out."

Henry nodded, "Right. Maybe you can convince us to tell you if, say, there was something in it for us?"

Charming's brows furrowed, "Like what?"

Gwen rubbed her hands together, grinning evilly, "Say, a chocolate Sunday with extra everything?"

"And a hot cinnamon bun to go with it." Henry added, easily falling in tandem with his sister's scheme as if he had been doing it all his life.

The adults shared a look before nodding, "Deal."

Gwen gave a resounding clap to accompany her curt nod, "Well then, we can do business with you Mr. & Mrs. Charming. Off to Grannies!"

**Sorry for such a long space guys. I'm in the process of moving and finals are coming up so I've been real fucking busy lately. But I hope you can forgive me and I hope that this chapter made up for it. Have a lovely whatever wherever you are! And if you follow my other story, Something Lost, I should have an update for that soon as well. Thanks so much!**


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